Ransom
by reddwarfaddict
Summary: Lying in chains in the basement of his captors for a ransom, the Doctor's clone had never imagined life in the parallel world would be this painful... Major DoctorWhump
1. Taken

**A/N:** Disclaimer: We don't own it. We just like pretending we do :) We also don't own David Tennant. He belongs to Georgia Moffett. :D

This is a collaborative fic between me and **the-writer1988, **set in the parallel world post Journey's End where Rose and 10.5 are together in happiness :)

This is MY chapter! :D

* * *

Chapter 1 - Taken

"Rose, are you ready to go?"

Rose Tyler looked up from her desk to find the Doctor standing in the doorway of her office, bouncing from foot to foot impatiently with the car keys clutched between his finger and thumb. She held up her hand, spreading three fingers.

"Three minutes, okay?"

"Okay," he disappeared again. Rose resumed filling out the paperwork, pen hovering above the paper as she contemplated what to write.

"Are you done now?" the voice came again, head peeking around the door.

Rose sighed, but couldn't resist smiling. "Three minutes, okay Doctor?"

"Two minutes forty-eight seconds," the Doctor corrected.

"Whatever!" She waved a vague hand, looking back down at the paperwork as the Doctor disappeared again. She'd managed to write one line before the Doctor poked his head around the door once more, grinning widely.

"Done now?"

"Doctor!" Rose put her hand on her forehead. "I just need three minutes to finish this up, okay?"

"Two minutes twenty-one seconds," he informed her politely.

"I bet that isn't even right!"

The Doctor looked aghast. "Time Lord, Rose, part-Time Lord! Have you ever seen a Time Lord with a watch? I don't think you have, have you? You've got two minutes fifteen seconds to leave this room."

"And you have nought minutes ten seconds before I throw this book at you!" she picked up a rather hefty-looking book and waved it threateningly in his direction.

"Okay, okay, yeesh!" The Doctor held up his hands in surrender before disappearing again. For a moment Rose stilled, listening for his return, but he didn't. She lowered her pen to the paper once more.

"By the way, your Mum rang while you were in the meeting." The head popped around the doorway again. "I didn't listen to what she said but I thought you should know."

"Get out!"

He saluted and disappeared yet again. She barely had time to write the next word this time.

"One minute forty-five seconds."

The book hurtled towards him at breakneck speed, and he only just about ducked out of the way in time as it hit the wall just behind him, practically exploding on impact. He stuck his head around the doorframe again.

"That's a hell of a throw you've got on you."

"Doctor, get out of my office!" Rose practically yelled, pointing at the door. "Go do all your little science experiments your nerd department does!"

"Maybe I don't want to," the Doctor retorted, striding towards her.

"Doctor, I'm serious, I have to get this finished."

"Come on, we have three days holiday!" The Doctor was on the other side of the desk now. He looked down at the papers scattered all over the desk, heaving a sigh. In one swift movement he'd climbed onto the wooden desktop and sat on the papers.

"Doctor, get off my desk!" But the Doctor wasn't listening as he cupped her chin and pulled her towards him, kissing her gently on the lips. She tried to pull away but he wrapped his legs around her, holding her firmly in place. After a few moments Rose gave up struggling, letting him kiss her for a few moments more before he finally pulled away, grinning.

"Fifty-two seconds," he said.

"You'll be done in twenty." Rose grinned cheekily, pushing him back onto the desk and climbing on top of him, capturing his lips in yet another kiss.

"Ahem," a voice suddenly said from the doorway and they both jumped in surprise, looking at the doorway to find Michael Harrow, deputy boss of Torchwood One standing there with his arms folded, foot tapping.

"This isn't what it looks like," the Doctor said instantly, still pinned to the table by Rose. Michael raised an eyebrow. Rose quickly climbed off of the Doctor, helping him onto his feet and brushing him down as he adjusted his hair. She then grabbed her handbag and casually patted down her own hair.

"We were just going home," Rose said with a polite smile, nodding at her superior before slipping through the gap to the corridor outside. The Doctor gave him grin and an apologetic shrug before he too slipped out the door. Silently they both walked to the lift, stepping in and hitting for the ground floor before the lift doors silently closed, and they began to descend.

For a moment there was silence between them, before they turned their heads to look at one another. They both burst out laughing. Grinning like loonies they linked hands and strode out of the lift now on the ground floor, giving a wave to the receptionist, who waved back.

"Have a nice holiday," she said, beaming.

"See you next week, Kayleigh!"

* * *

They arrived back at the mansion just in time for dinner. They had barely walked in the door when Jackie appeared, hands on hips, glaring at them murderously.

"And what d'you call this?"

The Doctor blinked, confused. He tried to follow Jackie's line of sight through his head out of the doorway into the corridor to a painting of a fruit bowl on the wall.

"Err… a painting?" he asked tentatively. Rose giggled. Jackie fumed.

"I told you to be home by five!" she clobbered him around the head. "You weren't even listening, were you?!"

"Oi, no need to mouth off at me, I was busy!" he retorted rudely, Donna style.

Jackie was probably just about to explode with rage but was fortunately prevented as Tony came running over to the Doctor and Rose, hugging Rose tightly.

"Rose!" he said happily, before turning to the Doctor and hugging him as well. "John!"

"Hey little guy!" the Doctor said, hugging him tightly. "How was school?"

"Fun! Drew pictures!" he said, drawing back again and taking the Doctor and Rose's hands, thankfully pulling them away from the seething Jackie. "Come, come, tea ready!"

* * *

Hours later the Doctor and Rose were back in their own wing of the mansion, cuddled up in bed together.

"Didn't you ever get bored?" the Doctor was asking. "In the mansion before?"

She nodded. "Oh yeah. We can't go out without a guard, it's too dangerous. You know, Dad gave you that massive talk…"

The Doctor stared blankly. "… Talk?"

Rose rolled her eyes, smiling as she pressed a kiss to his bare chest. "We're only allowed in the mansion grounds and out to work, apart from that we always need a guard with us. So if I wanna do some shoppin' I gotta have a big armed guard runnin' around after me."

"We haven't been out at all since we got back from the parallel world," the Doctor pointed out. "Could do with some fresh London air."

"And I really want a new dress," Rose added.

There was a pause. They looked at each other.

"You are thinkin' what I'm thinkin', right?" Rose grinned at him.

"And what's that?" he asked, returning the grin to even wider proportions as he leant forward and began to gently nibble her earlobe.

"Maybe we could… I don't know… Sneak out?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, drawing back. "That's totally irresponsible, Rose Tyler. It's dishonest, dangerous and completely idiotic." He beamed. "Let's do it."

She giggled and leant forward, kissing his nose. He snaked an arm around her and pulled her close, entwining his legs in her's as he pulled the cover further over them both. She snuggled into him, and together they dropped off to sleep.

* * *

Getting out of the mansion had been ridiculously easy, though the Doctor and Rose had become very accustomed to escaping out of tight spots when they'd travelled on the TARDIS together. Within ten minutes they were walking down the high street where busy shoppers were bustling along with large amounts of carrier bags in each hand.

As they walked, hand-in-hand, the Doctor slowly became aware that everyone seemed to be staring at them. Rose was right, the Tyler family really _were _famous on the parallel world. Jackie had been keeping him locked up in the mansion for so long he hadn't really had any chance to experience day-to-day life here.

They browsed clothes shops, and quickly they both picked up on a Donna trait he'd taken on. Before when Rose had taken him shopping he'd usually assume the foetal position in the corner of the store, but now he was in the mix of things, suggesting outfits and rejecting others.

After acquiring some pick n' mix they wandered into what they deemed would be the last shop, busy with a number of people browsing racks. After a squabble Rose picked an outfit and went to the changing rooms.

Minutes later she minced out of the changing room in a red and green dress, low cut. She walked over to the Doctor and did a spin. "Do you like?"

"Red and green?" the Doctor looked aghast. "Are you insane? It'll clash! You'll look like a traffic light!" He paused, catching himself. "Donna?" he asked.

Rose laughed, and nodded fervently. "That's a no then!" She went back into the changing room. The Doctor resumed his seat on the couch, his long legs stretching halfway across the doorway. It was two minutes before Rose reappeared and he got to his feet, grinning and taking her hand, leading her back out into the shop.

"Back home then?" he asked.

"They've probably realised we've gone."

"Who cares," the Doctor said flippantly. Rose laughed.

Suddenly a man stepped in front of them, wearing a long dark brown coat and a black suit and tie, blocking their way to the exit.

"Come quietly, John Smith."

The Doctor blinked, utterly wrong-footed. "What?"

The man's hand slipped inside his coat and suddenly there was a gun in his hand, pointing straight at the Doctor's head. "I won't ask again."

Rose gasped, holding onto the Doctor's arm tightly as she looked around them, finding what she had previously presumed to be customers now walking towards them, guns in their hands. There had to be at least thirty of them, closing in on them both leaving no open space for them to escape.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's stop a tiny second here," the Doctor said, letting go of Rose's hand and holding up his own two in surrender. "Who are you?"

"We are The Organisation," he said shortly, and nodded to a point over the Doctor's shoulder. Within seconds the Doctor felt his arms being taken hold of, dragged roughly away from Rose before he felt the cold barrel of a gun resting against his temple.

"Let us go!" Rose demanded as she was treated the same, dragged away from the Doctor in the grip of two of the men. She looked around for help but if there was anyone they were hiding.

"Don't make me hurt you, Rose Tyler," the man who had spoken to the Doctor grated in a low voice that made her absolutely sure he was true to his word. He beckoned to the men holding the Doctor, turning on his heel as he did so. "Bring him."

"No!" the Doctor suddenly yelled, struggling to pull away from his captors. "I'm not coming with you!" Miraculously he managed to shake one of them off and pull away but he was instantly stopped in his tracks as something heavy smacked into his abdomen. He cried out in surprise and pain, faltering and falling to the floor and curling in on himself.

"Teach him a lesson," the man said, perfectly calmly.

"No! Please!" Rose screamed, trying desperately to pull away from the men holding her but she could only watch as they punched and kicked the defenceless and outnumbered Doctor relentlessly for what seemed like hours before they finally stopped and pulled away to reveal a blooded and bruised Doctor lying on the floor, gasping.

"Get him up," the man said and his henchmen obeyed, each grabbing an arm and hauling the half-conscious Doctor to his feet.

"Please, let us go, please, we haven't done anything to you…" Rose was now begging, tears streaming down her face as the Doctor struggled to stay conscious in their grip. "Whatever we did I'm sorry, we'll fix it, please let us go…"

"Boss," one of the henchmen said from the side, "the police are comin'."

The man simply nodded and walked over to the Doctor, grabbing his hair and roughly wrenching his head up, the Doctor's eyes opening slightly to meet his gaze.

The man smiled coldly. "He's got fight. I'll give him that." He pulled his gun out of his harness again, turned it on Rose, and fired.

The Doctor yelled in anger and rising panic as Rose's scream of pain reverberated in his ears. With strength he didn't even know he had in him he wrenched himself out of their grip once more and pushed his way over to Rose, falling to his knees beside her as she writhed in pain, holding her leg where she'd been shot.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'll…"

He was cut off from saying anything else as the man stepped up behind the Doctor and raised the butt of his gun, bringing it down on the Doctor's head. He sagged instantly over Rose, unconscious.

The sound of distant sirens could be heard wailing in the distance. The man slipped his gun back inside his coat. "Tie him up, gag him, get him to the van. And quick."

As the henchmen did their task the leader knelt down next to Rose taking her tear-streaked face in one hand and smiling that cold, emotionless smile.

"We'll be in touch."

And with that he stood up and walked away closely followed by the thirty men, two of them carrying the unrelenting Doctor between them.

Crying with both the pain in her leg and her heart, she first pulled off her cardigan, tying it tightly around the wound in her leg and crying out as the pain spiked. For a moment she just held the engagement ring he had given her on her finger, before she shakily reached inside her coat pocket and brought out her phone, dialling for Torchwood.

_"Rose?" _a voice asked on the other end.

"Mike…" she gasped, "Mike, oh god… oh god…"

_ "Rose? Are you okay?"_

"They took him Mike, they took him…"

_ "Rose, calm down. Took who?"_

"John." She groaned in pain as her leg pulsated vividly with pain. She wasn't sure she could stay conscious for much longer. She took a couple of deep breaths, trying in vain to regain the ability to control her own voice. "We went shopping and… they jumped out… and they hurt John… they took him… shot me…"

_"They shot you?!" _Michael's voice was quite plainly filled with horror. _"Where?!"_

"In the leg," she gasped, unable to bring herself to look down at her wound. "Please Mike, please, they took John…"

_ "We're coming. I've sent for an ambulance, we'll get him back, okay? Stay calm."_

"Thank you," she whispered, and ended the call.

* * *

**A/N: **And now I will hand you over to **the-writer1988** for chapter two...


	2. Just Have Faith

**A/N:** the-writer1988 here. You can blame this fic being the work of my overreactive imagination, but I am not responsible for what comes out of reddwarfaddict's mind! Though, this chapter is my own... hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as much as you enjoyed the first chapter....

* * *

Chapter 2 – Just Have Faith

Rose pressed the cardigan against the wound, trying her best to staunch it. Her cardigan was now blood-stained and it was seeping through her clothes to leak onto the shop floor. She was losing a lot of blood, and fast. Her head was swimming and she fought to stay conscious as another wave of pain engulfed her mind.

Even as she tried to forget the pain, her thoughts were already turned towards the Doctor, wondering where he was. _Where is he? Why did they take him?_

"Miss, are you okay?"

The tears in her eyes showed it was clearly obvious she was not alright.

"Sorry Miss," said the young man, kneeling down beside her. He grabbed a piece of clothing from the rail, ripped the tag off and wrapped it tightly round Rose's thigh. "I would pull out the bullet, miss, but I'm not trained enough as it is to attempt such a procedure."

"Are you a doctor then?"

He nodded. "Well, sort of, training to be one. It's my day off you see Miss, and I was just passing by and I heard the gun-shot. I called the Police and Ambulance for you, Miss, even though others before me must have done since I was told they were already on their way."

"Thanks," she replied, getting highly irritated by him calling her 'Miss' all the time.

"Try not to move, Miss, it will only make it worse," he advised as Rose tried to move her injured leg.

It was then members of the ambulance crew, accompanied by six Police Officers strode into the shop. The four ambulance members gathered around Rose while the Police set about cordoning off the crime scene. Rose found herself going red when they pulled down her jeans to get to the bullet and the wound.

"We're going to pull the bullet out. It hasn't gone in as far as we thought it might have done so we can risk taking it out. It will be painful," the nurse, who was part of the crew said.

Rose nodded and gritted her teeth as they held her down. She felt pain running up and down her leg and she couldn't stop herself screaming as the bullet was pulled out. She sagged back into the arms of one of the crew members, darkness closing in fast.

She was vaguely aware of a shape that resembled her mother barging into the cordoned off area before she lost consciousness and sank into oblivion.

* * *

When she woke Rose found herself lying on a stretcher in an Ambulance. She could hear the sirens over the sound of the beeps that were registering her heart-beat. She groaned as she fought her way to consciousness, trying to remember what had happened to her. She blinked as a familiar face looked down at her, worry evident on the wearer's face.

She tried to speak but couldn't be heard properly due to the oxygen mask on her face.

"Mum..." she whimpered, her eyes shining with tears. "They took... the Doctor..."

"He'll be okay, sweetheart," Jackie said gently. "We'll find him."

Before she knew it her eyes closed once more and the darkness took her.

* * *

Jackie Tyler hugged herself as the stretcher her daughter was on was wheeled inside the operating theatre. Rose needed stitches to close the wound. She had been asked to wait outside, but throughout the journey she had been holding her daughter's hand. She wanted to know what had happened and why. From the garbled message she had got from Pete and then Rose in the ambulance, she knew they had lost the Doctor. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her mobile phone and dialled Pete's number.

"Jackie?" he answered.

"It's me," she confirmed. "It's Rose. She's 'avin an operation. What can I tell her when she wakes up?"

She could hear Pete rustling pieces of paper on the other end of the line. "That we're doing everything we can to get him back. Jackie, we have no trail – whoever these kidnappers were they were completely thorough but don't tell her yet, we might get a lead in the next few hours if we're lucky."

"And if we don't?"

"I think we're going to have to assume the worst," replied Pete.

* * *

Darkness was something the Doctor had grown accustomed to during the course of his life time. But this was something completely different. He woke to a thumping headache and found himself inside a cramped, and what seemed to be, wooden box. His hands were tied behind his back and he was still gagged. If he had been able to he would have spat the material out of his mouth. His ankles, too, were bound.

Immediately thoughts of Rose entered his head. Where was she? Was she ok? Panic rushed through his body as he remembered the gun-shot wound she had acquired. He moved about fiercely trying to loosen his bonds but it was impossible. Whoever had tied him was an expert at knots.

He briefly wondered if they had taken Rose too, and if they had, had her wound been taken care of?

Moving his bound feet, the Doctor kicked the side of the box, hoping to attract attention. He heard movement from outside the box and waited. The lid opened up and before he could even see his abductors, he felt a hand tangle in his hair and bash his head hard against the wooden box.

Before darkness claimed him he wondered why they had taken him, and if Rose had been left behind, why?

* * *

Rose had fallen unconscious due to the loss of blood during the journey in the ambulance to the hospital, but when she woke up she found herself lying in a private hospital room, her leg completely bandaged up and propped up for her.

"Rose, sweetheart."

Rose turned her head and saw her mother sitting next to her bed, concern on her features. "Mum, where's the Doctor?"

"I'm sorry, darling," said Jackie, squeezing her daughter's hand, "but they haven't picked up a trail yet... Pete is doing everything he can. Can you tell me what happened?"

"We were just shoppin', you know for clothes, and we were in this shop and suddenly all the other people in the shop surrounded us and ordered the Doctor to go with them..." explained Rose. "They said they were The Organisation... there must've been like thirty members all surrounding us. We were grabbed but taken in opposite directions. All they wanted was the Doctor, not me... I dunno why... they didn't say anythin' else. He tried to fight back, Mum, but they overpowered him, beat him up, and then their leader, at least I think it was him, shot me. And they took him... hit him on the head, tied him up and left."

"Leaving you to bleed to death," growled Jackie. "Did they say anything to you, darling?"

Rose shook her head. "No, they didn't." But then something clicked in her mind. "No, wait... They said 'we'll be in touch'." She shivered as she remembered those cruel, dark eyes, and the rough hands on her chin.

"Rose, go to sleep," urged Jackie. "Maybe when you wake up the Doctor will be here."

Rose yawned, suddenly coming over all tired and she was instantly asleep.

* * *

"YOU THINK I'M GOING TO LET YOU WAKE MY BADLY WOUNDED DAUGHTER UP JUST SO YOU CAN QUESTION HER?"

Rose stirred from the dreamless sleep she had been in to overhear her mother yelling outside her room to some poor soul. She let out a yell as she moved her leg, only to have the door to her room burst open and Jackie Tyler come striding in, her face red from the yelling she had been doing. Behind her strode in a policeman, a stern expression on his face

"If you feel you are up to it, Miss Tyler, I would like to question you regarding the incident that took place at the Mall earlier this afternoon. It is paramount we get as much information as possible if we are to secure a lead as to where Mr John Smith's kidnappers have taken him."

"I don't think there'll be much to go on," said Rose, as her mother tried to help her sit up in bed. She quickly explained what had happened in the shop, not admitting any detail. It was better for her to relate the story now instead of waiting. Though she knew Torchwood would be on the case, the Police would still be involved so she would be required to be questioned by both investigative teams, however she drew the mark on questions, and to her mind, Torchwood would have a better success rate then the Police. She would not refuse to answer questions from the people she could trust, but the Police were another matter. After all, they all knew the rumours that the Police Force was corrupt.

The Policeman thanked her for her time and departed leaving Rose with Jackie.

"You didn't have to do that, sweetheart," said Jackie, stroking her daughter's hair.

"I know, but I thought it would be best to, you know? Get the ball rolling so to speak." Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of the Doctor. "Why do they want him, Mum? Why didn't they take me too?"

"I don't know," replied Jackie, feeling slightly useless that she couldn't track down the kidnappers herself. "I'm sure we'll find him sweetheart. Just have faith."

* * *

A few hours later Rose's sleep had been interrupted yet again, but this time it was Doctor James Keegan that woke her, explaining that he needed to tell her something important.

His first question surprised her. "Forgive me for asking this but we've received some very surprising results from the tests we ran and we just want to make sure. Do you have an active sex life?"

Rose was startled. She glanced towards her mum who had remained in the room with her. "Err... I guess so, yeah."

"Do you use any form of protection?" the doctor's questions were probing.

Rose nodded vigorously. "Of course. Why?"

"According to our results, you are six weeks pregnant with twins," finished James Keegan.

Rose's mouth fell open in shock. "What?" she managed.

* * *

**A/N:** And now reddwarfaddict will take you through chapter three...


	3. The Demand

**A/N: **Yeah, you got me, reddwarfaddict again! Have fun... I know I did :x

* * *

Chapter 3 – The Demand

The Doctor slowly surfaced back to consciousness, his head throbbing and body aching. He was still inside the cramped wooden box, bound and gagged and helpless at the hands of his captors. He couldn't see a thing through the dark of the crate asides from a small slice of light between the wooden boards, but it didn't give any clues as to his predicament.

He decided not to try and kick at the box again given what had happened last time, so for a few minutes he sat inside the darkness of his temporary home, listening to what little he could hear of the world outside. There were voices. Deep voices. He couldn't make out what they were saying, Moments later light exploded from above and the Doctor had to close his eyes in pain, having become accustomed to the darkness. His hair was grabbed and for a moment he thought they were going to smack his head against the side again, but the hand simply pulled his head to look up into the light.

"He's awake," a voice said, and hands grabbed him under his bound arms and hauled him up and out of the crate, into what seemed to be the back of a vehicle.

"Stand up," another voice said. He couldn't. His legs were completely numb from being inside the crate for too long – however long it had been – and he couldn't support his own weight. He received a fist in the stomach for not being able to comply with their instructions and he gasped for air through the gag, winded.

"He can't stand," the original voice said, and now the Doctor could see it belonged to a tall, well-built man wearing casual clothes with firearms held comfortably in a gun holster around his chest. "Carry him."

Instantly he was grabbed around the middle and thrown carelessly over someone's shoulder, the injuries from the attack in the shopping mall crying out in protest as he was carried out of the vehicle and into the pitch black of night. He tried to process his surroundings but it was too dark to decipher anything except for the dozens of armed men surrounding him, their hawk eyes watching his every movement. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

He was taken up a garden path and in through a front door of a house. Someone flicked on a light and he was surprised to find they'd taken him into a well-decorated, homely household, but somehow he knew he was not going to be treated like a guest to their home.

He was taken further into the house, through the hallway and the kitchen. He barely had the time to compose himself before he was thrown roughly down a set of stairs into yet more darkness. He heard more than felt his head connect with the stairs. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

* * *

"Mr Smith," a voice said from the distance. "Mr Smith."

The Doctor shifted slightly on the floor, his head and body still aching in pain of trauma. He opened his eyes slightly to meet the gaze of a man he recognised – the man who had first confronted them in the mall: the apparent leader of the gang.

"Mr Smith, can you sit up?"

The Doctor tried to speak, but the gag prevented him from forming words. The man pulled off the gag and helped him to sit upright, holding a glass of water to the Doctor's lips. The Doctor gulped it down gratefully, just trying to control his breathing for a moment.

"How are you feeling, Mr Smith?" he asked, and sounded like he really was concerned for his health.

"Where's Rose?" the Doctor croaked, barely able to keep his eyes open. "You shot her."

"She is safe, Mr Smith, she is recovering well in hospital. She sustained a non-serious bullet wound to her upper thigh, she will recover quickly."

"Why did you take me?"

The man smiled. "Ah, Mr Smith, you should recover before we start on business. Please, try some of my wife's homemade apple crumble, it is really quite delicious." He pushed forward a bowl of what indeed looked like apple crumble, steaming, fresh from the oven with custard over the top.

The man unbound the Doctor's hands, somehow already knowing he was too weak to put up a fight. In moments he fixed the Doctor's right hand in a pair of metal handcuffs to a thick sturdy pole running along the wall behind him. The man got to his feet.

"Please, don't hesitate to call me if there's anything I can get you."

* * *

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days, days into weeks. The Doctor had stubbornly refused to eat and drink what they gave him to begin with, but as the hours ticked slowly by he realised that humans did not have the same metabolic rate as Time Lords, and he just couldn't fight the hunger and the thirst with fresh food and water being brought to him everyday.

They didn't even punish him for not eating, somehow knowing that at some point he would give up and cave in. And he did. After a week he gratefully gulped down the glass of water and ate the full piping hot roast dinner within minutes, and still had room for more.

The Organisation, as they called themselves, hadn't even told him why they'd taken him. The only communication he had was when they delivered him food and water, otherwise he was a prisoner in the windowless basement, hand still fixed to the pole where it had been for weeks. His ankles remained bound, and he knew his human muscle tissue was slowly beginning to degenerate through lack of use.

As the Doctor he had been in this situation hundreds of times before, but never had he felt this bad. He needed a wash and a shave and he missed Rose with all his heart. He wondered where she was, how she was doing, whether she was thinking about him. Was she even looking for him? Maybe she didn't really love him… maybe she was still thinking about _him_…

He sighed, curling up into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. Of course she loved him. She wouldn't have got engaged to him, wouldn't have made love to him if she wasn't happy with the situation.

The door at the top of the stairs burst open and natural light poured into the basement. The Doctor shielded his eyes before looking up to find the leader walking down towards him, flanked by two henchmen.

"Good morning, Mr Smith," he said, smiling emotionlessly. "How are you?"

"I've been better," the Doctor replied bitterly. "Are you going to tell me what's going on, now?"

The man smiled. "Of course. Pick him up." The last was to his two henchmen, who proceeded to unlock the handcuffs and haul him to his feet. He couldn't stand upright, so they each slung an arm around their shoulders and pulled him up.

"You are being held for ransom, Mr Smith. Your little band of Torchwood-affiliated friends and family must pay up for us to consider letting you go."

"And if they don't?" the Doctor queried, voice hoarse.

"Then we have no use for you, and you will be disposed of accordingly," the leader replied, still smiling.

"Why didn't you take Rose?" the Doctor asked. "She's worth a lot more than me."

"You are worth more than you give yourself credit for, Mr Smith. You are Rose Tyler's fiancée, the son-in-law-to-be of Peter Tyler, head of the Torchwood Institute. Rose Tyler's love for you will ensure we get what we want. You will fix a nice little price."

"What do you need this money for?"

"That's quite enough questions for today, Mr Smith," the man broadened his cold smile. "Let us get started."

"On what?" the Doctor asked as he was dragged to the centre of the room and dropped into a chair, ropes wrapping around his torso and arms, pinning him to it. The gag was put back on him again. A camcorder was set on a tripod in front of him, and he quickly realised what was about to happen.

"Your ransom video," the man replied, and hit record.

* * *

Rose was discharged from the hospital three weeks after she had been shot. She had been through some rehab and could now walk with crutches – but all of her thoughts had been focused on the Doctor. Three weeks of being separated from him with no clue as to his predicament was tearing her heart apart. She didn't even know if he was still alive…

She arrived back at the mansion to a very flustered mother, bustling around her, making her cups of tea and catering to her pregnant and injured daughter's every need. It wasn't until the evening did she finally manage to escape her mother's clutch and go down to her dad's study.

She knew something was wrong the moment she opened the door. He was leant over his desk, head in his hands.

"Dad?" she asked. He jumped in surprise, spinning around in his chair to meet her gaze.

"Rose," he said solemnly. She was suddenly gripped in fear.

"What? What is it? Is it John?" Tears filled her eyes, her hand unconsciously resting on her belly. "… Is he… dead?"

Pete shook his head, but pointed to the laptop behind him. "They've sent a video, Rose. Of John. And their ransom."

"Show it to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Just do it."

He opened the video.

Then Rose saw the Doctor. He was conscious, tied around the chest to a chair in the centre of a dark room, the ropes binding him cutting harshly into his skin with bright red marks visible. He was shivering with the cold, still dressed in the same clothes he'd been wearing when he was taken. He was gagged, unshaven and dirty, with patches of blood visible on his clothes. She bit her lip.

A man stepped into view – she recognised him as the one who had first confronted them at the mall – yanking the Doctor's head up by his hair. Rose felt the oncoming tears begin to well as she stared at the man she loved so bruised and helpless in the grip of his captors.

The man reached into his belt with his right hand, the left still gripping the Doctor's hair. He placed a knife at the Doctor's exposed throat, looking directly at the camera with eyes as cold and dark as the room he was standing in. The meaning was clear.

"In return for Mr Smith's life we require 1000 billion euros," the man said, but Rose's eyes were fixed on the Doctor. He was trying to slip off the gag enough to speak. "Give us the ransom and we'll let him go. A fair trade, after all…"

The man was cut off in mid-flow as the Doctor suddenly began yelling to the camera, successful in loosening the gag.

"Rose!" he screamed, the raw emotion in his voice provoking a tear to roll down her cheek. "Keep yourself safe! If what they want is too much, forget about me! I'll be fine! I love you, I…"

Rose stifled a gasp as another man walked in from off-camera and raised a fist, punching it square in his face. His head snapped back, remaining for a few moments before he lifted it again, dazed. Without thinking Rose reached out to the screen, as if trying to touch him.

The man let go of the Doctor's hair and took his knife away from his throat, turning back to the camera with a sly smile on his face. "Oh, and…"

He reached down to the Doctor's limp hand and lifted it up as far as the ropes would allow, gripping it tightly in both hands. Rose watched with baited breath.

"If we don't receive a reply within 72 hours…" He suddenly jerked his hand and Rose suddenly felt very sick at the sound of the Doctor's wrist bone cracking in two. "Then we will kill him."

"No… no…" she gasped, more tears falling down her cheeks as the Doctor cried out through his gag, tears filling his eyes with his face contorted in agony.

"Good day," the man said.

The screen went blank.

* * *

**A/N: **Maybe I should consider seeing a psychiatrist XD

Oh well, if the men in white coats arrive at least I can point and blame the-writer1988 and say she did it :D


	4. The Conference

**A/N:** Is it wrong that I'm enjoying writing this fic as much as reddwarfaddict is? I think its best if I went to see a Doctor...

* * *

Chapter 4 – The Conference

Rose sat stunned, fingering the engagement ring that the Doctor had given her only two months ago. Her father had moved out of his chair once the video had ended, allowing his daughter to sit down, as numbness washed over her. She swallowed, reaching for the glass of water that had been placed on the table only a minute before and drank from it. She looked to Pete who was standing behind her, hands thrust into his pockets, a sour expression on his face.

"Dad, you're gonna pay it, aren't ya?"

Pete was silent for a long moment, refusing to meet Rose's eyes. "One hundred billion euros is a lot of money. If it was you, I'd pay it in an instant..." He trailed off, pretending to cough into his hands.

"You're gonna let them kill him?" Rose was horrified and she felt sick to the stomach.

"I can't make a decision until I've spoken to Torchwood about it. Rose, you must understand that John is a scientific genius. I, for one, do not think that those gang members will let him go if I pay the ransom. They won't hurt him because he is too useful to them alive."

"They broke his wrist!" shouted Rose, tears leaking out of her eyes.

Pete grabbed her by the shoulders and looked down into her eyes. "Listen to me, John is not just anyone. If the kidnappers were in it for the money they would have taken you, but they didn't, they took John instead. They may say they will kill him but he isn't worth that amount of money to me as you would be. They were after something else which they need him for."

"Yeah to get money!"

Pete shook his head sadly. "No. I'm sorry Rose but I'm confident they won't kill him when the hours are up, if I don't pay."

"If?" Rose felt a spark of hope flash within her chest. "You mean you might pay it?"

"It depends on what my trusted advisors say at Torchwood. If they have come to the same conclusion as me then I won't pay it, but if they haven't then I will reconsider."

Rose felt ill. Her father was bargaining with the Doctor's life. He was taking a huge risk gambling on his fate. She didn't know what to think but she had to hope her father's advisors would not arrive at the same idea as him.

For Rose did not believe that the Doctor's captors would keep him alive if the ransom was not paid.

She glanced up at Pete, shook her head and hurried out the study, not daring to think about the thought of her children growing up without their father.

* * *

Pete Tyler sat at the end of the table, hands clasped in front of him, a stern expression on his face. Ten of his most trusted advisors and employees sat along the table. At the back of the room sat Kayleigh, the receptionist, but she was also a trained note-taker who would be writing down what was said in the meeting before typing it up later on.

James, Gary, Bobby, Richard and Megan sat on the left side of the table, their expressions stony. On the right side of the table sat Leanne, Jennifer, Lucy, Tiger and Matthew. All of them were Pete's trusted confidents.

He looked each of them in the eye before he nodded to Kayleigh, indicating that the meeting was about to begin, and then he started to speak. "You are all aware that John Smith, our Scientific Adviser has gone missing. Kidnapped in full public view by a known gang to us, a gang that has avoided justice for many years. My daughter, Rose, was shot in the leg, but is recovering well. She was recently discharged from hospital. Since John's very public kidnap we have searched for him, but the gang have hidden him well, wherever they have spirited him off to. Yesterday afternoon I received a package, a ransom video."

"Sir, before you go on, if I may?" said blonde-haired Megan who had a small nose, and her hair was tied back in a neat pony-tail. Her blue eyes were her most defining feature.

Pete nodded, accepting the interruption.

"I've been wondering this for a few days now, why did they not take Rose? Surely she would be the better option than John?"

"I do have my own theory why, but I will come back to that later," explained Pete. "The ransom demand is for one hundred billion euros. As to John's condition, he did look like that he had been fed, but he hasn't been washed, shaved or treated in a nice way. Other then feeding him, they hadn't harmed him up till that point. They have said they will release him if I pay the ransom, and if I don't they will kill him. To show that they do mean business they broke his wrist. I have two days before I have to communicate to them my decision."

"Are you going to pay it?" asked Tiger, who had bright orange hair, and was the most outgoing member of Pete's group.

Pete scratched his chin. "This is where I come to the answer of your question, Megan. I believe that if they only needed the money they would have taken Rose as she is far more valuable to me then John."

"He's our Scientific Adviser, one of our most important members of Torchwood and he has knowledge beyond all of us," said Gary, rubbing his bearded chin.

"Exactly," replied Pete. "You're getting the idea."

"You suppose that the ransom is a cover for something more?" asked Bobby, a chubby man, but who was excellent at computer systems. "That if you pay it they won't kill him as they need him for something else?"

"You're right on the mark there Bobby!"

Leanne frowned. "So, if that is the case, what do they want him for?"

Pete shrugged. "I don't know. But the gang are a criminal organisation that has influence over half the world. They have waged wars against us since as long as I can remember. If my supposition is correct I would imagine they would need John to build them something and for that they need the money. They may harm him for my defiance if I refuse to pay but I would bet that they do not intend on killing him." He looked around the table looking at each and every member. "What I need to know is if you believe this is likely. If I don't pay and they kill him, Rose will never forgive me, and we will lose a valuable member of our team if my judgement is wrong. But if I pay and they do not release him, then I could be condemning all of us to death, whatever they might need the money for."

Everyone around the table was quiet; their minds calculating through the facts and ideas their boss had thrown at them. After five minutes Pete cleared his throat and asked them their individual thoughts on the ransom demand.

All of them agreed that there must be more to the ransom and so Pete Tyler made his decision to risk defying the gang. If they killed John in two days then he would hate himself for the rest of his life, and Rose would probably never speak to him again. He just had to hope that his intuition was correct and that this wasn't just a simple ransom demand.

* * *

"Rose?"

Her mother stepped into her room where Rose was lying on her bed, legs curled up, dried tears on her cheeks. "Go away," she whispered, her shoulders shaking.

Jackie moved forward and sat on the bed beside her daughter. "Rose, I heard what happened between you and Pete. I'm really sorry, sweetheart..."

"He doesn't understand!" cried Rose. "I don't want my children growing up without their daddy..."

"They won't. John will be here sweetheart. I know he will."

Rose buried her face under the pillow wishing her mother to go away. She wanted to be alone. "He's not gonna pay it mum. How could he sentence John to death after everything he has done?"

Jackie bit her lip. "You've gotta trust him, sweetheart. If he says there is more to this then I believe him. He knows more about this gang stuff then we ever could. He's lived 'ere his whole life. We haven't."

Rose looked at her mum, her eyes wide. "What if it was my life he was bargaining with? Would you trust him then?"

"I would, cos I love him." Jackie kissed her daughter on the cheek. "You've just gotta believe."

* * *

As soon as the ransom video had been shot the Doctor had been knocked unconscious, his broken wrist twisted at a horrendous angle. But the gang leader simply did not care for his prisoner. When the Doctor woke he found himself lying on the hard, stone floor of the basement, his broken wrist chained to the sturdy poll behind him. He gritted his teeth in agony as pain washed over him. This was just cruel. He had to get himself into a more comfortable position so that his wrist wouldn't hurt him as much, but the cuffs were tight. No matter what he did he would still be in pain.

As he looked around his dull surroundings he noticed a figure in the corner watching him, their face covered by a hood.

"Who are you?"

They did not answer, instead turning away and walked out of the basement.

"Wait! Please come back! Help me!" he yelled desperately, even though he figured that whoever that person was, was probably an accomplice to the gang. He hung his head, tears leaking down his face. All he wanted was to go home and see Rose again.

"Oh Mr Smith you are such a fool!"

He looked up, hurriedly wiping the tears from his eyes. The gang leader strolled towards him, laughter ringing in his ears. "What do you want?" he growled.

"Just to see how you are," his captor replied.

"I'm just peachy," glared the Doctor.

The gang leader shook his head. "Do you want more broken bones?" he asked casually, if that was a common thing to happen.

"No," replied the Doctor, dropping his piercing gaze.

"Good." The man threw him a piece of meat onto the floor. "You should eat up. It could very well be your last meal."

The Doctor ignored the meat that had been thrown, instead he locked gazes with the man. "Just exactly who are you?" he demanded.

The man chuckled. "I have no name. But amongst my family I am known as number three."

"Number three?" the Doctor repeated. "Ah, a code then."

"We are lucky that our identities are not widely known, that's why we can still go about in public."

"Are you not afraid of being recognised by those in the neighbourhood? Surely your faces would have been circulated."

Number three chuckled. "Oh, you see Mr Smith, we do not exist in this world...."

The Doctor's eyes widened as he realised what the gang leader was hinting at. The gang's identities must have been wiped from the system so the gang could continue to operate normally. If that was the case, the Doctor mused, then a traitor was operating inside Torchwood!

Before he could take his thoughts any further he felt number three's fingers twist in his messy hair and bash his head back against the wall. Darkness clouded his eyes and he fell into oblivion.

* * *

When he woke the Doctor found to his surprise that he had been freed from the sturdy poll, but his wrists were now chained in front of him. His broken wrist was turning purple and his fingers were not moving as much as they could do. But when he looked up he saw to his surprise the door to the basement was slightly ajar.

Heart beating fast the Doctor scrambled to his feet, nearly crashing to the floor as his legs sought to get used to being used again. He wobbled and grabbed hold on the pole with his working wrist, steadying himself and moving his legs up and down until he felt they could deal with walking. Carefully he took one step at a time up the stairs before he came to the door. His heart beating fast in his chest, the Doctor pushed open the door and peered through it. The coast was clear.

This was his only chance of escape. He emerged into the kitchen and spotted the kitchen door on his left and he moved towards it, grasping the handle and opening it, checking for anyone before making a dash for the front door that was just in the hall way. He grabbed the front door and pulled it open, only to stop short when he saw number three and two of his henchman standing behind him.

The Doctor scrambled back. They must have set this up, it was the only explanation for this!

Number three was laughing as he stepped into the hallway. His two men filed in behind him, their dark gazes locked on the Doctor's trembling form. "Oh, Mr Smith, you disappoint me so..."

The two bodyguards rushed forward and grabbed the Doctor by the arms and pushed him to the floor. His hands sprawled out in front of him, still in their chains as he lay on his front in front of his captor.

Number three was shaking his head in disappointment. "Oh, Mr Smith... I hadn't wanted to do this, but maybe you will learn that escape is not an option for you." He smiled kindly at his prisoner before raising his foot and stamping down hard on the Doctor's broken wrist.

He couldn't help but scream as the man crushed his wrist. Immense pain ran up his arm and the Doctor twisted and turned trying to escape the unbearable pain, but it was simply impossible.

Finally the foot was removed and the Doctor was sobbing, his cheeks stained with tears.

Number three knelt down beside the Doctor and lifted up the hand that was not broken. Then, taking each of the Doctor's fingers, but leaving the thumb intact, number three twisted them and snapped them. The Doctor cried out, curling himself into a ball as he sought to protect his body from further pain.

Dimly he heard number three instruct his bodyguards to take him back to the basement and ensure that he couldn't escape. Carried back to the place that had swiftly become his home, the Doctor's arms were pulled behind his back and chained once more to the metal pole. His feet, too, were tied up.

He was still whimpering when the two men forced a gag into his mouth. And then he was left alone, always in constant agony. Not even thinking about the woman he loved could help him overcome the pain he was in. All he wanted was Rose, and he was slowly giving up hope that he would ever see her again. His last thought before oblivion took him was_: I love you Rose. _

* * *

**A/N: **And now I hand you, dear readers, and the poor Doctor, back over to my wonderful co-writer.... :D


	5. From Bad To Worse

**A/N: **I think the chapter title says it all...

* * *

Chapter 5 – From Bad To Worse

The Doctor awoke sharply, surprised to find he had been asleep. He must have passed out sometime during the night. Lifting his aching head slightly from the concrete ground he looked up to the top of the stairs, and found the source of what had woken him up.

Number Three was storming down the stairs straight towards him, anger plain on his face. Instinctively the Doctor curled up as tight as his cuffed hands and screaming wrist would allow and closed his eyes in a futile attempt to protect himself as fear rose in his chest.

Number Three was standing next to him now. For a moment there was utter silence before he reached forward and took the gag out of his mouth.

"Mr Smith," the voice grated, close to his ear. "Your friends at Torchwood have replied, and they're refusing to pay the ransom. Was I wrong in assuming your precious Rose Tyler would actually be concerned for your life?"

A tear slipped down the Doctor's cheek, hidden from Number Three by his arms.

"Obviously they have no concern for you if they refuse to pay it. Perhaps they are glad to be rid of you…" Number Three continued, grabbing the Doctor's hair and wrenching his head up to look at him. Tears were coursing down his cheeks.

"Kill me then," the Doctor whispered. "Just kill me. Please."

Number Three smiled coldly. "Oh, we have better plans for you than that."

The Doctor let more tears slide down his face. He was broken. Rose didn't love him and the people he'd taken as his family hated him enough to leave him in the grip of The Organisation. He had nothing left to live for. "Please, I want to die."

"Oh no, you're needed for something else, Mr Smith. We needed the money to fund it, so now we must take more drastic measures to gain funding. Unfortunately for you, this means you'll be a little more than uncomfortable."

The Doctor couldn't control his sobs then. How could he have assumed so blindly that Rose would love him, just because he was an exact replica of the man she truly loved? She was probably still thinking about _him…_

Number Three replaced his gag, but he was too distraught to notice. He didn't even notice Number Three leave as he continued to cry for the pain in his body, and his heart.

* * *

Torchwood had been sat waiting for a reply only twelve hours when it came in the form of a handwritten-letter.

Pete Tyler called another meeting of the minds in the Conference Room, setting the letter out on the table in front of them all. Rose was sat next to her father, fidgeting and shifting around in anxiety. Inside that envelope lay the future of her fiancé and her children's father.

Pete reached forward, and took it, opening it slowly and drawing out the letter within. He began to read.

"_Dear Torchwood. Your reply to our ransom was received and understood, thank you for the prompt response. I understand your decision. He probably isn't as important to you as Rose, Mr Tyler, however I simply cannot allow you to not give us the money. John will have to pay for your decision. There are 206 bones in the adult human body, Mr Tyler. John has already managed to break five, leaving 201 intact. __If the money hasn't been delivered in 24 hours, then for every hour that passes after that deadline without the money delivered to our door another bone will break…"_

Rose audibly whimpered, her head in her hands. Pete continued.

"_It will take us roughly eight days to break every single one. And you will be witness to it through a live feed. I hope you will be able to come to a quick decision, I informed John of your response and he became very distraught. He begged me to kill him, infact…"_

Rose couldn't stop the tears then, hugging herself tightly as her father continued.

"_He seems to be under the impression that you don't love him, Rose Tyler. Far be it from me to judge, however. If you truly wanted his pain to stop, you would pay the ransom. Thank you for reading our reply. If the payment is not received by 4pm tomorrow afternoon, then we will commence. Yours, The Organisation."_

Rose pushed herself onto her feet, anger and despair coursing through her blood as she stared at her father in disbelief.

"You… You…" she stammered, unable to find the words to continue.

"Rose…" Pete began gently, putting the letter back on the table.

"You did this!" she yelled, tears pouring down her cheeks. "He thinks I don't love him! Because you won't pay it!!!"

Pete sighed, looking to the floor.

"I'm pregnant, in case you actually cared, Dad! I'm pregnant with his twins and thanks to you they'll probably never see their father!!!"

"Rose, I swear, if it was logical…"

"I hate you! He's in pain because of you! 1000 billion euros is _nothin' _to Torchwood! Why won't you pay it and save John?!" she demanded.

"There's another motive to this, Rose…"

"I don't care!! All you have to do is pay it and they'll stop torturin' him! How can you do this?!" She couldn't even look at her Dad anymore. She stormed out of the conference room, slamming the door behind her. She ran through the Torchwood corridors until she emerged outside in the car park. She found a bench and collapsed heavily down into it, sobbing her heart out for John. She wanted so badly to hold him again, hug him tightly, tell him she loved him with all her heart, tell him she was pregnant. He would be elated, she knew. They had always discussed the possibility of children, but had never really gotten around to it. Now it had all come on so suddenly, and he didn't even know. Would he ever know?

How could her father do this? How could he just stand by and let an innocent man be tortured when he could so easily prevent it? After all John had done for Torchwood, he was essential to the smooth running of the organisation, when he'd come down with the flu a while ago Torchwood had practically been in disarray for the entire week. His brain was worth more than its weight in gold. And now he wanted to die, all because of her dad. She hated him more than she thought was possible since he had come back from the dead.

"Rose?"

She looked up to find James, one of Torchwood's trusted advisors since it had been established standing next to her. She didn't even bother wiping the tears from her eyes.

He sat down next to her, and silently drew her into a hug. She was grateful of it.

"It'll be okay," he said gently. "We'll sort it out."

She didn't reply.

"I don't agree to any of this, either," James said. "What your Dad is doing is wrong. John is everything to Torchwood, I dunno how we got on without him before."

"He's just gambling with his life," Rose whispered through sobs. "I can't believe he still won't pay it… And now John thinks we won't pay it 'cause I don't love him…"

"You two together, you're inseparable," James said, "you love each other, it's obvious. If John really thinks that then he's an idiot. But I'm sure he knows you love him. It's probably the only thing keeping him going."

Rose nodded, sniffing, before looking up at the Torchwood Tower. Pretty soon she'd have to get in her father's car and be driven back to the mansion with him… She couldn't do that. She couldn't face her father, not now.

"I don't wanna go back home," she said shortly.

"Maybe you could come and stay over my house?" James suggested. "Just for the night. You can face him tomorrow."

She nodded again. "Yeah, thank you."

He helped her up onto her feet, leading her towards his car.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello! I would like to invest in one strait jacket, please and two nights in a room with rubber wallpaper so I can chew it.


	6. Unexpected Visitor

**A/N:** I think I should set the record straight.... originally I wanted the Doctor to lose a finger, but reddwarfaddict convinced me that THIS idea was much better...

* * *

Chapter 6 – Unexpected Visitor

The next morning Rose was woken by someone rapping on James' front door. She sat up on the settee she had been lying on, pulling the covers up her body. James hadn't had any female pyjamas so she had slept in her bra and knickers. James hurried into the living room, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and ruffling his hair. He unlocked the door and opened it revealing Pete who stood outside.

"I need to talk to Rose."

James looked to Rose who was watching. She shook her head at him.

"She doesn't want to talk to you," he stated calmly. "I'm not going to let you in."

"Please," begged Pete, "I need to see her. She needs to understand."

"You've explained already," said Rose. "You don't value John's life. If you did you'd pay the ransom."

She could hear Pete sigh. "Rose, if I could save him I would, but I can't."

"Yes you can," she responded adamantly. "All you need to do is pay them money!"

"Can I just come in, please?" asked Pete. "If I upset her more then I will leave."

"Rose?"

"Let 'im in," she said. She watched as her Dad walked into the room and knelt down in front of her. He looked like he had barely slept. What little hair he had was in a mess and his eyes were pale, his skin pasty.

"I haven't slept all night."

"Same," she responded. It was true. She knew she had dozed but that was not sleeping. "Why can't you help 'im?"

"Because," said Pete weakly, "if they truly required only the money they would have killed him by now. That is how the gangs have always worked. The fact that they haven't killed him after their initial demand proves my theory. They have kept him alive. In the past when a deadline has not been met, the gang have killed their hostages but John is the first hostage to ever survive beyond the initial timeframe. I know how the gangs work in this situation and it is different with John. There is something bigger at work here. Please, Rose, just trust me on this."

"You're still not gonna pay it, are ya?" asked Rose, looking away from her Dad.

Pete nodded. "No, I'm not."

"You're gonna let them torture 'im, break every bone in his body... how could you condemn him to that?"

"Because they will not kill him – they'll hurt him until he is an inch from death but they will never take his life. They need him for something else, Rose. If this was a normal ransom they would have taken you, but they took John instead. Torchwood's Scientific Advisor, our one bright star within our organisation," explained Pete. He reached out, and sat beside Rose on the sofa and pulled her into a hug. "I promise you, Rose, I will do everything in my power to bring him home, but I do know how the gangs on this world operate. I've dealt with 'em before."

Rose looked sharply up at him, confusion evident on her face. "What do you mean?"

"They took Jackie once, my old Jackie... I paid the ransom, but we caught them in the end so I didn't lose the money," said Pete.

"Does mum know this?"

He shook his head. "No. That's why I know this is different altogether. If they wanted to hurt me specifically they would have taken you or Jackie, not John. Instead they are striking at the heart of Torchwood itself... and it is known that John is brilliant, more so then any other scientist on this planet. That alone makes him a target and useful for whatever future they have in store for him. Scientists have disappeared before, but never ransomed like John has, but in principle, it's the same thing."

"Only playing out differently," whispered Rose.

"Yes."

"And they need 'im for somethin', right?"

"Everyone agrees that is the case, which is why I won't be paying the ransom, no matter what they do to him. If they wanted only money they would have taken you or Jackie, or killed him outright when I refused. They didn't. That alone confirms they need him for something."

"But what?" asked Rose.

"I don't know," her Dad replied, but she could tell he was worried.

* * *

The Doctor had fallen unconscious again; his face was dried with the tears that had fallen. He had convinced himself that Rose didn't care for him, didn't love him, but the sane part of his mind, the side that was still fighting, told him he was being silly. Rose did love him, they just didn't know where he was. He was certain they were doing everything in their power to save him. Rose did love him, he was sure of it.

He lifted his head when the door to the cellar opened and Number Three stepped in. The Doctor didn't even try to shuffle away, knowing that it was hopeless. Doing so would only cause him more pain. Number Three approached him and then he bent down, pulling the gag out of the Doctor's mouth. He gently caressed the Doctor's hair.

"They have refused my friend. They have chosen to give you pain rather than to free you. You are such an important person, Mr Smith, and yet they'd rather you suffered at my hands..."

The Doctor swallowed. "What do you mean?" he managed, his voice croaking.

"From 4pm this afternoon... in exactly four hours from now, I will break your femur and then at the next hour your tibia... every hour I will break a bone until they pay the ransom. If they continue to let you suffer until all but one bone is broken in your body then, unfortunately for you, Mr Smith, you will die..."

"But, you need me for something!" gasped the Doctor. "If you kill me then I can't help you!"

Number Three chuckled. "I know, which is why if we have to go that far you may be dead to them but not to us... They will not let you suffer for long before someone pays the ransom. Do you really think Jackie Tyler will let her daughter lose the children she bears by letting their father suffer?"

"What?" asked the Doctor, his face going even paler then it already was.

"Your precious Rose is pregnant, Mr Smith. With twins. Your children. No one will let those unborn children live without their father..." Number Three smiled cruelly.

The Doctor shook his head. "No... you're wrong... we were careful..."

"Not nearly careful enough, Mr Smith," chuckled Number Three. "Bones can be easily healed, Mr Smith... it might take you a while to recover from the injuries we give you, but in the end you'll recover enough for you to be of use to my masters."

"Who are your masters?" demanded the Doctor.

"Now why would I tell you that?" asked Number Three, as he replaced the Doctor's gag and walked out of the cellar, laughing.

* * *

The Doctor had barely been left alone for more than five minutes when someone else stepped into his prison. His eyes widened in recognition when he saw who it was. His mind whirled as he considered the implications of why she was here. There was only one explanation for it. She was a traitor to Torchwood. In her hand she held a dagger.

"Hello John," she said. "Surprised to see me?"

He couldn't even speak, but his eyes widened even more. If he could have spoken he would have demanded to know why she would betray them.

"I see you've met my boyfriend. Number Three is so very strong, don't you agree?" she said, slyly.

The Doctor felt sick. To think that she was in cohorts with these people was sickening. And Torchwood didn't even realise they had a traitor among them.

She knelt down in front of him, grinning. "Aw, I forgot, you can't answer me back." She reached out and stroked his face, gently trailing her fingers down his cheek. He tried to move away from her but she grabbed his chin. "You cannot escape, John. I sold you out... they know exactly how important you are... it is a shame that Pete saw through our plan, otherwise you would not be about to experience pain as you've never felt it before. My boyfriend will take you within an inch of death before dragging you back to life... He has a remarkable talent in that field..."

The Doctor shivered, but she only smiled.

"You probably think I'm sick, but I'm not. I am doing this for our country's best interest... surely you can understand that?" She placed the knife against his cheek and gently slit his skin. A rivulet of blood trailed down his cheek. "This will serve to remind you of the betrayal you went through."

He tried to say something through the gag but she placed her hand over his mouth.

"Shh... you need to conserve your energy for what is to come." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a syringe. "This will help you sleep until the time comes for it all to start..." She grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, inserting the syringe into the vein at his neck, pumping the sedative into his body.

The last thing he saw was the traitor laughing at him as he sunk into darkness.

* * *

Pete was sitting in his office when Gary came rushing in. "Sir, we're receiving an untraceable signal. It's a camera feed, sir."

Pete looked at his watch, noting the time. "It's not 4pm yet. Still thirty minutes to go."

Gary nodded. "The leader of the gang has identified himself as Number Three. We've run matches against his features, looked for his files... but they don't exist. Someone has erased him from the system, making him untraceable."

"So someone is betraying us," whispered Pete. "Someone within this organisation is connected to that gang. Is there a way of retrieving the files?"

Gary shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Sir. It does explain why Number Three can walk around showing his face... only those who recognise him would know his identity."

"And those that do would not betray him to us," continued Pete. He rubbed a hand over his weary face. "Maybe making this case public to the police would be a good idea. We might get some leads. It's only been through my intervention that all media outlets have been banned from reporting about our situation."

"Would that be a good idea, Sir?"

Pete shook his head. "No, it would just force the gang's hand. We've got to keep this within Torchwood. But we need to find out who is working against us too." He looked to Gary. "Can you path the live feed through to my screen?"

"Sure thing boss," replied Gary, tapping a few buttons at a computer.

The live feed appeared on Pete's screen and he saw the Doctor lying in a dark room, unconscious, not knowing that he was being watched. Suddenly, Number Three appeared on his screen, stepping into shot. He smiled up at the camera, his arms behind his back.

"In twenty minutes I will begin. You still have time to change your answer. We will not retract the feed until you yield to our demands. If you care so little for him, you should prepare yourself to watch him suffer. Do you really want your daughter to blame you for the death of her fiancé?"

Pete was silent, knowing that the man was baiting him. He watched as the man walked away from shot, leaving the camera focused on the battered body of the Doctor.

It was then that the door to his office opened and Rose strolled in. He stood up immediately, pressing the button to switch off his computer screen. "Rose, I don't want you to see this."

She shook her head. "Tough. I am! I wanna be there for him! I need to see... at least I'd feel like I'm helping him survive by watchin'! Please dad, you've gotta let me!"

Pete sighed. He knew there was no way he would be able to convince Rose to leave so he let her stay, ordering Gary to bring her another chair. He switched on the monitor once more.

"It's already started?" she breathed.

He shook his head. "No. They've just set up the live feed."

Rose looked at the clock on the wall. _Five minutes to go..._

Then a voice came through the screen, though they were unable to see the man in question. "Still no money? No... Well then, you give me no other choice." He stepped into line of the camera transmitting the live feed. "Let's begin shall we?"

* * *

**A/N:** And for the next chapter, I shall hand you over to the Queen of Doctor-torture....


	7. And So It Begins

**A/N: **Me, reddwarfaddict, Queen of Whump, eh? I like that! Though I do assure you it's by pure coincidence that I get the whumpy chapters... Though this was my idea, so I don't exactly know what that makes me :x

* * *

Chapter 7 – And So It Begins

**4:00pm**

Rose stared transfixed at the monitor, where the image of the Doctor lying in a dark room apparently unconscious with a gag in his mouth, his hands cuffed to a thick metal pole running against the wall behind him. The high quality meant they could quite clearly see the Doctor's broken wrist in the cuffs, turned swollen and purple and bent at an unnatural angle. His fingers on his other hand were also swollen badly, bent at strange angles too. Rose held back her tears at the idea of how much pain her fiancé was in. He was unspeakably pale but dirty with mud, stubble over his face. He looked even thinner than before. They weren't feeding him anymore…

Another man moved onto camera, though didn't even bother to register its presence. He had a bucket in his grip, the contents of which he threw over the Doctor without hesitation seconds later. The Doctor gasped and spluttered, eyes snapping open in shock.

Number Three then appeared, grabbing a fistful of the Doctor's hair and leaning close to his face, spittle flying out of his mouth as he spoke in a voice too quiet for them to hear. After a moment he drew back, pulling the Doctor upright by his hair and reaching into his pocket, drawing out a penknife.

For a moment Rose froze and so did the Doctor, but quickly Number Three lowered the penknife to the ropes binding the Doctor's wrists to the pole, slicing through. Rose breathed a sigh of relief, but it didn't last long as Number Three gripped the Doctor's hand with the broken wrist and pulled him across the hard floor of the room, instantly provoking cries of torment from the Doctor that broke Rose's heart. But it was only just beginning.

Number Three dragged him to another wall closer to the camera before pulling him upright again to standing position, lashing his hands to a wooden beam above him and leaving him completely vulnerable and exposed, his broken wrist tightly bound and almost supporting his entire weight. Number Three accepted a syringe from someone to the side and jabbed it into the Doctor's thigh, pushing it down.

"What was that?" Rose asked anxiously. The temporary Scientific Advisor stepped forward, peering closely at the contents of the syringe as they flowed into the Doctor.

"That looks like…"

"_Osteo-entropic ethanase," _a voice suddenly said from the screen. The Advisor went completely white. The Doctor did too.

"What's that mean?" Rose asked anxiously.

"It's… it's a drug that John and I were working on… We were trying to develop two formulas, one to increase bone density and the other to decrease it. Osteo-entropic ethanase is the one that… decreases it. It stays localised, so If they've put that into his upper thigh now his femur is only at maximum 50% density… It'll easily snap…"

"Was it confined to Torchwood property?" Pete demanded.

The Advisor nodded. "We never took it off of the premises, only a member of Torchwood would have been able to open the vault…"

"Who the hell gave it to them?!" Pete was angry now, looking accusingly around at his staff members, but Rose's sudden gasp instantly made him turn his attention back towards the screen. Number Three was now standing in front of the Doctor, a metal pole in his hand. The message was clear. He swung it back, and the Doctor closed his eyes.

_Crack._

Instantly the room and Torchwood were filled with the Doctor's screams of utter agony through his gag as he thrashed around in his bonds, as if trying to escape the pain but was failing, horrendously. Number Three reached up and loosened the gag, and the screaming got even louder. Rose buried her head in her arms and covered her ears, but the screaming was still ringing in her brain, her heart shattering into a million pieces, and she just couldn't stop the tears then…

His screams seemed to carry on forever. When she finally had the nerve to look the Doctor was trying desperately not to cry, presumably with the combination of his freshly broken leg and the added pressure he'd put on his wrist from thrashing around.

"_There, Mr Smith. That wasn't too bad, was it?" _Number Three said to the Doctor, smiling gently. He leant forward again, close to the Doctor's face. But now the audio could pick up his words, and Torchwood could hear every word. _"They didn't pay the ransom, John. They could have stopped this, but they didn't. They could have stopped your pain. But they refused. No one's coming for you. Not even Rose. Your precious Rose, whom you love so dearly. Not even she is bothering to save you. It really makes me wonder, John, does she really love you? She's deserted you… Left you to be tortured and killed…"_

The Doctor shuddered, obviously trying to suppress his emotive response. It didn't work. He began to sob, tears coursing down his cheeks. Rose sobbed with him, wanting so desperately to tell him they were talking a load of rubbish, that she loved him with all her heart. But he couldn't hear her. He didn't even know he was being filmed.

Number Three turned, and walked away. The Doctor suddenly raised his head.

"_You're… wrong," _he shouted after Number Three, voice gasping through the pain of his afflictions. Number Three stopped dead in his tracks. _"She… does love… me. Nothing changes… that."_

Rose stared, her eyes stinging through her tears, but suddenly hope burned inside of her.

"_Well Mr Smith, I hope you believe that for as long as possible."_

"_If she's not… coming now she… has a reason, and… when she does come… you'd better be… ready."_

Number Three didn't answer this. He simply paused for a moment, before disappearing up the stairs, followed by his henchmen. The door closed, and the lock went into place.

Seconds later the Doctor sagged in his chains and passed out.

* * *

**5:00pm**

Rose had been staring at the screen for practically the entire hour, watching the unconscious Doctor. Her father still wouldn't pay despite what they had done to him, he'd seen it, but still he refused, insisting there was an ulterior motive.

The door at the top of the basement opened again, and Rose sat up, checking the clock. No…

They threw another bucket of cold water over the Doctor, who quickly spluttered awake. Number Three was present again, getting straight down to business and jabbing a fresh needle of the bone density-lowering substance into the Doctor's shin of the same leg they'd broken his femur. They were taking out the tibia, next.

Rose could tell Number Three was enjoying this, immensely. He raised the pole and dutifully smacked it into the weakened tibia. It cracked, and instantly the air was once again filled with the Doctor's cries. The tears Rose had only just managed to clear up suddenly sprung into action again and, after savouring the Doctor's cries of pain Number Three and his henchmen promptly left, not even stopping to torment their captive. The Doctor passed out again very quickly.

Peter Tyler watched every moment on his own computer screen, unable to cancel the live feed. He reached forward and switched off the monitor. It was the only way he could get rid of the video.

For thirty minutes the Doctor was unconscious again. Rose had only just managed to clear up her tears when the Doctor woke up again, groaning in pain and shifting in his bonds.

"_Still here," _he muttered, wincing. _"Hungry… hurting… Oh great… talking to my… self now, I'm… going insane."_

Rose couldn't help but smile. Despite everything, he was still her Doctor. He sighed and visibly winced.

"_Rose,"_ he suddenly said, closing his eyes. _"I love you. Please… hurry up."_

"I'm trying," she said gently, as if she thought he could hear her. He slipped out of consciousness again.

* * *

**10:00pm**

The regular pattern never changed, and an hour ago they had finished breaking the long bones in the Doctor's legs. He was now standing on his broken legs unable to relax for the agony it would put on his broken wrist if he put his entire body weight on it, but equally not able to stand up for the even more agony that would grip him. And Rose was watching every moment, crying and screaming at times, angry at her father for what he was putting the Doctor through.

At 10pm the men entered the basement again. The Doctor hadn't woken up of his own accord in the past three hours. This time it took two buckets of cold water to revive him. They jabbed the needle this time into his upper arm – his humerus. Within seconds it had broken. The Doctor didn't have the energy to scream anymore. He just passed out.

They weren't feeding him or giving him water, and he was sinking lower and lower every time they tried to revive him. It was finally Rose realised the Doctor was dying. He was malnourished and dehydrated, living in a constant world of pain with his muscles deteriorating as he slowly withered away.

Rose's hand rested on her belly where her baby Doctors were growing, not noticing her mother look in the doorway and see her, sighing heavily and moving away again.

* * *

**5:00am**

Rose hadn't slept.

She'd refused to leave the Doctor, somehow feeling that he would know she was there, supporting him. She couldn't just leave him all alone.

"Rose, please…" Jackie began, but Rose pushed her away.

"If the Doctor's not allowed to sleep and eat, then I won't either, Mum."

Jackie was speechless at her reply. Flabbergasted, she began to speak again, this time angry. "Rose, you're _pregnant! _You can't just stop eating and sleeping! You need to keep healthy or you might lose them!"

Rose paused, her mother's words sinking in.

"What about John?" Jackie continued, desperately trying to make her daughter see sense. "Would he want that?!"

Rose looked at the floor, resting her hand on her belly again. She shook her head.

"I just thought…" she didn't finish. She burst into tears. Jackie gathered her up in a hug, her eyes connecting with the monitor still showing the Doctor. He was bruised and blooded, unconscious, even thinner than usual and completely pale.

Then right before her, he opened his eyes. He gazed around the room in a daze, looking as though he might pass out again at any moment.

"_Rose?"_

Even Rose looked up at the screen. The Doctor was staring at a point across the room, eyes wide.

"_Rose… please… help… me…" _he gasped. There was a pause. _"I… tried… that… but… I… can't…"_

He was having an imaginary conversation. He was hallucinating.

"_I… know… he… told… me…_" he gasped. Pause. _"Please… make… it… stop…" _Pause._ "Come… quickly…" _Pause. _"No… please… don't… go… I… love… you…"_

He closed his eyes, and cried constantly for five minutes. Rose cried with him. Eventually Jackie managed to coax Rose into getting up out of her seat, taking her to bed, promising her that she would stay and watch the monitor. She arrived back in time to see another bone break.

She truly did wonder, not for the first time, just how long Pete was going to let this carry on for.

* * *

**A/N: **But the-writer1988 has a bit too! :D


	8. The Traitor

**A/N: **John Simm Squee!!! Sorry, literally just got back from London and am still hyper! Yes, this is the-writer1988's chapter...

* * *

Chapter 8 – The Traitor

**8:00am **

Rose had slept fitfully for three hours before she had woken and rushed back to the room, finding her mum in tears. Jackie had stayed vigilant, watching the screen each time the men had come to break one of the Doctor's bones. But with each passing hour, Jackie became more and more demoralised. How could her husband sit and watch as these horrible men tortured the Doctor to death? How could he allow it to happen?

Rose had arrived minutes after the men had dislocated the Doctor's right shoulder, putting more pressure on his arms as he hung from the wall. His legs had given out on him. His face was white, and some blood had been smeared on his cheeks during her time asleep.

"He's barely been awake, sweetheart. Just enough for 'em to 'urt 'im again," said Jackie slowly as she wrapped her daughter in a hug. "It'll be okay. We'll get him back, sweetheart, I promise."

* * *

**3:00pm**

Still Pete had not intervened in the twenty-three hours the live feed had been in operation. The Doctor struggled to wake each time the leader came for him. They had just broken one of his ribs, the first of many, Rose was sure, when Number Three released the Doctor from the chains that held him against the wall. Unsteady on his feet, the Doctor collapsed, yelling out in pain and fear of what was to come.

Number Three stretched the Doctor out on his back before planting himself on the Doctor's chest. The Doctor opened his mouth in a silent scream. Number Three reached out and grabbed hold of his throat, but with the other hand he took the knife that was sheathed at his side.

Rose gasped, hiding her face with her hands but she could still hear the words the man spoke to her loved one. Jackie gripped her shoulders, rubbing them.

"It would give me utmost pleasure to snap that neck of yours... while cutting your jugular vein... maybe in a few days I will get to do that... who knows... if your 'family' don't pay up I will have the pleasure of doing that just that..."

"I will... be... dead... by... then!" gasped the Doctor. "I'm... dying!"

"It's not my fault," replied Number Three. "They refuse to pay, so you are suffering the consequences of their decision. Be thankful that we did not take your pregnant fiancée... her unborn children would have died by now with the way we're treating you..."

"I don't get it..." panted the Doctor as he struggled to breath. "If you need me for..." A hand swiftly covered his mouth and nose, cutting off his ability to breathe. He struggled for about a minute before Rose saw him slump.

"Why did he do that?" demanded Rose. "He was sayin' somethin'!"

Pete glanced at his daughter. "I think he was about to confirm my suspicions that they need him for something else... he doesn't understand why they are hurting him."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Jackie, quietly.

Pete shrugged. "I could be wrong, but I don't think I am."

* * *

**3:30pm**

Jackie took Rose out of Pete's office. "I can't stand this anymore...so this is what I'm gonna do, sweetheart. I'm gonna pay the ransom, without tellin' Pete."

"What?" gasped Rose.

"I can't sit there and watch 'em torture 'im to death," said Jackie. "If Pete is right, then I'll deal with 'im when the time comes. I'm gonna pay it Rose, but I need your help."

"What with?"

"Forging a letter."

They hurried towards the main reception where Kayleigh sat behind her desk, tapping away at the computer. She looked up as they approached.

"Kayleigh, we need your help," said Jackie. "Can you type us a letter? But make it sound like it will come from Pete?"

She nodded. "Sure. What is it you want me to say?"

"Just that we agree to pay the ransom," said Rose. "Dad doesn't know it... but we've gotta Kays... he will die if we don't do somethin'."

"Tell me what I've got to write," the receptionist said, opening up a new word document and writing the address to the Tyler residence in the right hand corner.

Rose dictated. Once that was done Kayleigh saved it to the Torchwood network, logged out of her own account and Rose logged into Pete's account. She shouldn't really know his password but she had found it quite by accident. She opened his emails, found the saved letter document and discovered an email from the gang, the same email they had sent the ransom video in. The email was untraceable, but Rose hoped this would reach them. It was nearly 4pm by the time they sent off the email, agreeing to pay the ransom demand.

Mother and daughter exchanged a look before they thanked Kayleigh for her assistance and rushed back to Pete's office where the live feed was still connected, hoping and praying that their email would get there in time and be read before another bone was broken.

* * *

**4:00pm**

Number Three had already woken the Doctor when Rose and Jackie arrived back in Pete's office. Rose felt her heart almost stop. Number Three was holding one of the Doctor's broken legs, inspecting his foot. He had his hand around the man's ankle. Over the speaker, Rose could hear the Doctor whimpering.

"You are very lucky, Mr Smith," said Number Three. "Pete Tyler has seen sense and agreed to pay the ransom."

Pete shot from his chair. "WHAT?" he bellowed.

"I have just been informed that an email has come through, accepting our terms," continued his captor. "They no longer have to watch you suffer."

"What?" croaked the Doctor, confusion evident in his sunken eyes.

"Oh, didn't you know?" asked Number Three, his voice cold and sinister. He pointed towards the camera. "Right there, Mr Smith. A live camera feed so that your family could see what their choice did to you."

"He didn't know he was being filmed," whispered Rose, shock registering on her face. Her father was still in shock.

"No," gasped the Doctor.

Number Three turned back towards the camera, blocking Rose's view of the Doctor. "We will return Mr Smith to you in three days time. A time and location will be forwarded to you. If you do not turn up we will begin the same process that you have just witnessed again and this time it will carry on until the money is transferred and accessible." He smiled at the camera, before cutting the connection. "Goodbye."

Pete whirled to stare at Rose, his mouth open in horror. "What did you do?" he demanded.

Jackie pushed forward and stood in front of her daughter. "It wasn't Rose, it was me, Pete! I did it! I took action when you wouldn't!" She pointed a finger at him, accusing him. "You were gonna leave him to die!"

Pete steeled the anger that was building up inside him. "You've only made it worse for him because I will not be paying that money!"

"You won't even for one second believe that you could be wrong!" bellowed Rose.

"Because I know I'm right!" shouted Pete angrily. He started to take deep breaths to calm himself. "Alright, we'll do it your way. I pay the money but don't blame me if they take the money and John too. I guarantee you they will not let him go!"

Rose was about to reply when James came running in, his face bruised, as if he had been hit in the face. "Sir, we've found the traitor!"

* * *

When the Doctor woke he found himself lying in a comfy bed. He had a drip inserted in his arm and bandages were spread all over his body. He realised it probably wasn't a good idea to move. Into his vision, leaned Number Three, who was smiling giddily down at him.

"Mr Smith, we can't return you to your family all injured, so we thought it best to set you on the road to recovery. We injected you with a drug that will enable your bones to knit back together, quicker than they would do normally."

"That drug is a prototype. I developed it at Torchwood!" wheezed the Doctor.

"Yes, you did. Our insider stole a sample from right under their very noses."

The Doctor glared at his captor. "You told me before you weren't going to let me go if they paid the ransom, so I'm asking again, what do you need me for?"

Number Three patted the Doctor on the head. "You'll find out soon, Mr Smith." He picked up a syringe from the table which was filled with blue liquid. He placed it against the Doctor's throat and injected it in to his system. "Sleep, Mr Smith. You've got a long journey ahead of you. We need you as fit as possible."

* * *

"KAYLEIGH?"

"How could Kayleigh betray us?" asked Rose, her voice flat.

James held an ice-pack to his face. "It was quite by accident. We were working together on a report when she said she needed to go and get something. While she was gone her phone went. She'd left it on the table. I'm not usually one to take a peek at other people's messages but I had a peek. It was from a man called Daryl Ferguson. I had a look at the text."

"What did it say?" whispered Pete.

"'Ransom to be paid. We are going to be rich, sweetheart'."

"Her boyfriend is Number Three?" Rose was shocked.

"It looks like it," nodded Pete.

"Would she have access to all the vaults and pass codes?" questioned Rose.

"She would. I authorised her to have them about six months ago. She has access to everything. I've been such a fool," whispered Pete. "That text proves I've been wrong about the whole situation. They did just take him for ransom."

Rose crossed her arms and glared at her father. "You're lucky then that I'm a very forgiving person then."

Pete chose to ignore this, instead focusing his attention on James. "Where is Kayleigh now?"

"She escaped," his colleague confirmed. "I did a very stupid thing. I confronted her about it, thinking that she would surrender. I didn't count on the fact that she would hit me and get away. I tried to pursue her into the street but she was quickly swallowed up by the crowd. Unfortunately, she managed to require her phone."

"Hold on, don't all Torchwood employees have a work phone with a tracker installed in?" asked Rose.

"They do," replied James, "but the phone wasn't her work one. Her work one I found still on her desk. She's untraceable."

"Damn," whispered Rose, resting her hands where the twins laid within her.

"Still," said Pete, drumming his fingers on the table, "at least we know the name of Number Three and who our traitor is. We will await the time and place and then I'll organise a squad to accompany me to the retrieval zone."

"I'm coming with you, dad," said Rose, stubbornly, her face set, her decision made.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, you can't. It will be too dangerous."

"But he will need me!" protested Rose.

"It will be no place for a pregnant woman to go," evaluated James. "Tell you what, I'll accompany your dad, but I'll keep my phone connected to here so you can follow the conversation. Does that suit you?"

Rose nodded, understanding that no matter what she said, she would be forbidden from going. All she wanted to do was hold John in her arms once more. It had been a month since she had seen him and she was now ten weeks into her pregnancy. One month of hell, hopefully that would end when the money was exchanged and John returned to them.

* * *

The message was short and to the point.

_3:00am, Stoors Hill, 3 days time. _

Pete could only believe that this was not some trick, and that his original guess that they needed John for something else had been a bad feeling, one that he had acted poorly upon. The message on Kayleigh's phone pointed to the fact it was just for money, but he couldn't shake off the possibility that Torchwood's traitor might not have had a clue as to the gang's full designs for Doctor John Smith.

* * *

**A/N: **I will pass you on to the Master of Doctor angst now ;)


	9. The Exchange

**A/N: **Master of Doctor Angst now, am I? That should maybe be mistress :P So, Mistress of Doctor Angst and Queen of Whump. I should make these titles official :D

* * *

Chapter 9 – The Exchange

When the Doctor woke up he was lying on a surface, being carried somewhere. He struggled to remember what had happened prior to him waking up, but it was all incredibly blurry. He quickly realised he must have been sedated again, and for a moment wondered if it was best to pretend he was still asleep...

"Mr. Smith," there was that voice again. He had no choice but to open his eyes to meet the gaze of Number Three. "We are taking you to the exchange."

"What's the point?" the Doctor replied, energy he had not had for what felt like months now coursing through his forcedly mended body. "You're not gonna give me up, anyway..."

Number Three just smiled, and turned away. Instantly the Doctor was grabbed under the arms and hauled onto his feet, his wrists still bound together. It was then he realised just how badly he was still hurt. His arms hurt, his legs hurt, everything hurt... A gun pressed into the small of his back, forcing him forward towards the back of a van.

"Get in," a voice grunted in his left ear. He clambered in as best he could, finding himself being pushed towards the back. A gun hit behind his knee and he dropped down, wincing as pain flared through his only recently realigned leg.

As he turned back around the van doors closed, and he was surrounded by six armed men, all staring at him impassively. Number Three wasn't there. Maybe... Just maybe...

"You all know what's about to happen, right?" he asked, not really expecting a reply. He didn't get one. "Do any of you know what they're going to do with this money? With me?"

A few narrowed their eyes at him. But he pressed on. They couldn't kill him, he knew. He was far too important.

"What exactly are you being offered to do this?" he demanded. "What do you all get?"

A few of them cocked their guns at him, moving their weapons from his head to his limbs. He quickly realised that although they would not kill him, they could quite easily plant a bullet in a limb of their choosing. He closed his mouth, and said no more.

The van began to move.

* * *

Torchwood pulled up in the customary jet black jeep in the middle of a clearing in dense forestry. In the back of the jeep sat Pete Tyler, dressed for the occasion in a charcoal black suit, and James Keegan, also smartly dressed with a briefcase sat on his lap.

"We have arrived at the exchange point," Pete spoke into a microphone concealed in his tie, Rose and Jackie and other the members of the Torchwood staff listening intently. They were all incredibly nervous, Rose especially, looking like she'd been dragged backwards through a hedge as her hands tangled deep in her unkempt hair.

"No sign of the Organisation yet, sir," the driver of the jeep stated.

"I want all units mobilised," Pete said into the walkie talkie. "Whatever happens, you _do not _risk_ hurting _John. He's already badly wounded and your number one priority is to get him safely back to my daughter. Do you copy?"

"_Message received and understood, sir. Awaiting orders."_

"Mr. Tyler," the driver suddenly side, peering out through the windscreen. "White van and silver car approaching."

Pete nodded. "James?"

James looked sideways at Pete, before looking down at the briefcase. He pinged the catches and pulled it open.

1000 billion euros in notes sat stacked and comfortable inside, bound together. James looked at Pete again, who nodded approval. James closed it again.

"All units follow their every movement. Surround the perimeter," Pete ordered. "Await further instructions."

The white van pulled to a halt just across the clearing, the silver car just next to it. A man stepped out of the car in a simple suit and coat – Pete recognised him. This was Number Three... Daryl Ferguson... The Doctor's torturer. Pete took a small, hesitant breath, then got out of the car.

The two men's eyes met across the dark clearing. They were both completely unprotected, open to any enemy fire.

"You have the money?" Number Three asked, folding his arms.

"You have John?" Pete asked, unwavering as he also folded his arms. "I would like to be reassured John is alive, first."

Number Three raised an eyebrow. "Very well. Bring him!" he called back to the white van, still not losing eye contact with Pete. The Torchwood group watched as the Doctor was carried over to them between two of Number Three's henchmen, gagged and blindfolded with his wrists tied tightly together in front of him. The clothes that hung loosely on his thin frame as a consequence of starvation were caked in dry blood, bruises on his visible skin. It made Pete fell physically sick. He was placed kneeling in the centre before the henchmen drew back. Pete started forward immediately.

"John! John are you all right? Don't worry, we're taking you back."

The Doctor's head snapped up immediately, his covered eyes staring unseeingly at Pete. He frantically started trying to speak. Pete reached for the Doctor's gag with intention to loosen it.

"I wouldn't do that, Mr Tyler," Number Three warned from the side. Pete looked up from the Doctor to find Number Three pointing a gun directly at the Doctor's head. "The money, My Tyler, or I shoot him."

Pete slowly backed away, arms in the air as the Doctor quietened, not able to see what was happening but being able to paint a pretty vivid and accurate mental picture.

"James," Pete called over his shoulder, keeping eye contact with Number Three who still held the gun to the Doctor's head.

James obediently got out of the car, the briefcase in his clutch. He walked up next to Pete, who gave a single nod. James stepped forward, and held the briefcase out to Number Three.

Number Three took it, placing it in the arms of one of his henchmen. He popped it open and checked the contents, holding one of the notes up to the moonlight in a hand clad in black leather. After a moment he nodded approvingly, putting it back into the briefcase and clicking it shut again.

"I cannot thank you enough for your co-operation, Mr Tyler."

"If you attempt to abduct any of my staff, family or friends again, Mr Ferguson, I will not take it lightly. We know who the traitor is, Daryl. Kayleigh has betrayed Torchwood, and therefore has betrayed the crown. Treason is still highly illegal in this country, Mr Ferguson. It is punishable by the Death Penalty."

Suddenly the Doctor began to make muffled calls again, unable to get any distinctive words out through his gag. Pete knelt down in front of him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "John, we're going to take you back to Torchwood and Rose, and mend you, okay?" He reached around the back of the Doctor's head to untie the gag, but suddenly there was the sound of a loading gun from very close to Pete's head.

"You won't be taking John today, I'm afraid," Number Three grated, smiling slyly. He grabbed a fistful of the Doctor's hair and wrenched him away from Pete as suddenly the Torchwood operatives appeared through the trees, pointing their guns straight at Number Three. Seconds later The Organisation had drawn out their own weapons, pointing them at Pete. It was stalemate. And inside Torchwood, they could all still hear what was going on through the microphones.

Pete had been right all along, Jackie realised. They were always going to refuse to give the Doctor back, they were taking the money and running with the Doctor's magnificent brain, combining the two into... it didn't even bear thinking about.

But now her husband was in danger. And it was all her fault.

A shoot fired off. Then another. Then suddenly the communication's room was filled with the sound of bullets firing as Stoors Hill was consumed in the grip of battle.

"What's goin' on?!" Rose yelled, eyes wide as she shot to her feet in alarm.

Suddenly James' voice crackled onto the comms, _"Pete's been hit! Get a medic here! Shit! John! JOHN! GET A MEDIC, WE'VE GOT TWO DOWN HE-" _he was suddenly cut off in mid sentence, a strangled gasp in his throat. The gunfire continued, but James wasn't speaking any more.

"DOCTOR! DAD! JAMES!" Rose screamed, hands over her mouth.

* * *

The Doctor cried out as pain seared across his upper left arm. He gasped and held it to his chest as best he could with his bound hands, curling up tightly. It was _burning _like fire, but he barely had time to think about a suitable course of action when he was suddenly grabbed by the back of his shirt and wrenched along the bumpy and somewhat painful ground. He struggled to get free but with his still agonised body he was like a weakling newborn puppy.

He could feel blood pouring out from his bullet wound now, and he was starting to feel light-headed. The limits of humans compared to Time Lords shocked him. Agony was still pulsating through his arm even worse than the rest of his still-healing body. Sleep was good, sleep cured everything...

"Stay awake!" a voice yelled, but was it to him? He was in so much pain and so light-headed from blood loss he couldn't figure it out. He eased open his eyes slightly to look up, finding that his blindfold had been removed. He could see Number Three looking down at him, for once worried. Then he passed out.

* * *

Back at Stoors Hill, Peter Tyler pushed himself up onto his knees, crying out from a wound in his shoulder. They'd been outnumbered, and _badly_. The members of Torchwood now lay either dead or wounded on the forest floor, as did quite a few of the Organisation's men too. His microphone was laying where it had fallen on the forest floor and he picked it up in his good arm, still wincing.

"This is Mother to Base," he said slowly and clearly, closing his eyes and taking in a breath. "This is Mother to Base. Do you read me?"

"_Sir!" _came the relieved reply._ "Sir are you okay?"_

His eyes flickered over to the body of James Keegan lying motionless on the ground next to him. His forced up the arm of his painful shoulder, resting his fingers on James' neck. There was a throb. But he knew it wouldn't last long. "I'll survive. Get a medical team down here right now, we have casualties."

"_Yessir, understand, Sir. And what of John?"_

Pete paused for a moment before replying. "The Organisation have gone. They took the ransom..." He paused again. "... And John."

* * *

**A/N: **Me like unconscious Doctor :3 Could you tell?

It's over to the-writer1988...


	10. Escape To France

**A/N: **My colleague, reddwarfaddict, is responsible for the delay... not me... she's gonna kill me now... *hides*

(**reddwarfaddict A/N: ***waves arms around* I was busy! And I have the memory of a fish with memory problems... Oh yeah, mock the fish, the-writer1988! Mock the fish! :( )

* * *

Chapter 10 – Escape To France

It was nearly 8am when Pete returned to Torchwood. His shoulder was bandaged and his arm in a sling. He had a few cuts on his head and a bruise on his cheek where he had got into a scuffle with one of the gang members before he had managed to wound the man. That gang member had later been found dead at the edge of the clearing. James had not regained consciousness. The medics had done everything they could to save him, but his dear friend had been shot twice in the chest. It had been a miracle he hadn't died instantly.

As soon as he arrived in the office he issued a demand for all members to make haste to his office where a meeting would be held. Jackie and Rose were seated beside him. Rose rested her hands on her belly. It was 9am before every trusted member of Pete's team were assembled in his office, either seated in chairs or leaning against the wall. They all knew they had lost a number of colleagues, but James Keegan had been a dear friend of them all and now he was gone. He had been a valued member of society, a shining star in the order. One that would not be forgotten. Pete had personally informed his parents of their son's death, and promised that he would alert the President. He hoped that James Keegan would be honoured for his dedication to his country. It was the least they could do for two people who had lost their only child.

"As you may have gathered the gang, led by Daryl Ferguson, have taken the ransom money they demanded as well as John. They killed several members of our team, James Keegan among them. Already I have alerted all the authorities to track down the van that fled the scene. The car that Daryl Ferguson arrived in has been left at the scene. The van has no registration plate, so it should be easy to spot. All media outlets have been banned from reporting the situation. Our main priority is to track down John before they leave the country."

"Do you really think they will do that, Sir?" asked Tiger. Whereas Tiger would be quite bouncy, now he was solemn, sad and hard. James Keegan had been his best friend.

"It's a strong possibility," replied Pete. "As far as we can tell the van drove off in the direction of the coast. Until we can be sure of their direction, after this meeting is adjourned, I will be personally seeing to it, via the President, that all airports, trains and boats across the channel will be closed. This situation has now risen to priority red."

"This is all my fault," whispered Rose. "If I'd only listened..."

Pete shook his head. "No, Rose, it isn't. In the end paying it was the only way to save him. I naively thought that we could get out with him, even if they were never intending in releasing him. At least we know that after we agreed to pay the demand they healed him, albeit using another one of the drugs that Kayleigh liberated from our stores. What they want him for is anyone's guess, but I can only assume that it is some terrorist group in the far east that may be interested him."

"But what would they want from him?" asked Leanne.

"I would guess that they hope to utilise his brains. He would be a very valuable asset to anyone who got their hands on him," answered Matthew. "Britain has many enemies. All of them are suspects. If they don't take John out of Britain then we can rule them out, but what we know, is that the van headed in that general direction. We lost track of it on our satellites when it disappeared into a tunnel. It never came out the other side."

"So, they swapped vehicles?"

Pete nodded. "It seems like it. We now have the van they were using, but we don't know what vehicle they used to get out. They made sure to come out when traffic was around, so it is anyone's guess. If we hear any reports of suspicious vehicles near the airbases or the ports then I want to know immediately. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded their approval. Standing up, Pete raised his free arm. "We've got work to do people. Don't let me down."

* * *

"I wish I'd trusted you, dad," sniffed Rose, once everyone had gone.

"He'd still be hurting now, sweetheart, if we hadn't taking it into our own hands," added Jackie. "Right, Pete?"

Her husband nodded. "He would. In the end, probably paying it was the best option. We just have to hope we can get him back before anything bad happens to this country."

"You really think that is what this is all about?" questioned Jackie, her eyes wide with fear.

"I do," replied Pete.

* * *

The Doctor was slowly pulled back to the world of the living. He found himself in the back of a lorry, his arms untied and his ankles loose to. He was no longer blindfolded or gagged, but he was aware of a dull throbbing pain in his arm. He tried to move it but he gasped as pain engulfed him.

"Ow, this is not good," he whispered to himself.

"I did the best I could in the circumstances," said a voice in the darkness that he knew.

"Kayleigh," hissed the Doctor.

"I'm not your enemy, John," she replied.

"You could have fooled me!" he snapped in return. "You sold me to these people. That makes you my enemy!"

"Maybe," whispered Kayleigh. "John, I thought what I was doing was for the good of the country and I thought I would benefit from it."

Realisation dawned. "But you're not."

"I don't think so," she said. "I was only in it for the money, but is it worth it for what they will force you to do?"

"What do they want me for, Kayleigh?" He knew she was warring with herself, wondering whether she could tell him.

"I don't know. All I was told was that it was for the good of the country. But the people you are being taken to, they do not have Britain's best interest at heart. They hate us, John."

"Why are you telling me this?" He shifted position, trying to get more comfortable. He knew he was in the back of the lorry. He figured that the gang probably thought he was too weak to fight, which was true, so they must have left him alone with Kayleigh to watch over him. "Where are the entourage? The rest of your esteemed gang?"

"I'm telling you because I feel guilty. I'm scared what they will force you to do. I'm sorry, John for everything."

"I don't think I can forgive you for giving me up and betraying Torchwood. If you really had my best interests at heart, you'd help me escape or at least find a way of contacting Torchwood," suggested the Doctor.

He heard Kayleigh sigh. "I can't. Daryl took my phone. I can say this now because we are alone. The rest of the gang are spread out in other modes of transport. You're too weak to fight them and so am I. The only way I can help you and Torchwood is to figure out what they want with you and alert Rose. I don't even know our destination, but if I did, I would tell them."

"Really?" The Doctor cocked an eyebrow in the darkness.

"Yes." She sounded so sincere that the Doctor nearly believed her, but he wouldn't take her into his trust yet. "All I know is that they need the money for something, but they also need you. If I knew anymore I would tell you."

"I would hope you would if you want me to trust you," he replied.

Silence reigned between them. The Doctor could only hope that Kayleigh had really changed her ways and was not leading him into a false sense of security.

* * *

Number Three sat with two of his men in the back of a different lorry. His decision to leave the Doctor unattended had worried his superiors, that their prize would be discovered but Daryl knew that lorries were scanned before passing into the ferries. However if there were more than three people in the lorry then their heat signatures would be signalled out, so they had to travel separately. He had decided to leave Kayleigh with the Doctor because it gave John some time to spend it with the woman who had betrayed him. He could trust Kayleigh, even though she didn't know their employers plans for Britain. He had hinted to her, and she had always been receptive of the ideas he had put forth, confirming to him that she was in it till the end.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and Number Three quickly brought it to his ear, answering the call. "3657DF2121." He spoke the code number he always had to give when answering the phone to his superiors. He had a specific ring tone for them so he knew what to say as soon as he answered.

A thick-heavy accented voice came over the phone. "Your position." It was not a question, more of a demand.

"Lorry A. Dover port."

"Status of the prize?"

"Lorry B. Behind."

"Good. We have received word that Pete Tyler will be issuing the order to close all ports, airports and stations. Those scheduled to leave have been granted permission to leave, pending search of all lorry's and vans. If impossible to avoid detection hijack the ship if you have to. We will await you at the Crossing."

The Crossing was a stretch of land just outside Calais Port. With the ports being closed down, Number Three would be forced to hijack the ship in order to get John Smith to those that wanted him.

"Affirmative," he said, accepting his orders. He closed the phone and glanced at his colleagues. "We have new orders." He reached for his wrist-strap and typed in a message to all members of his party. No matter what happened he would get the Doctor to his employers, even if it meant killing innocent people to achieve that goal.

* * *

With added security now evident at the port, Number Three had taken the difficult decision to hijack the ship. It would be much easier to board just after the ferry had left the port. All the lorry's that held his men, plus two small white vans, met outside the port of Dover. The Doctor was dragged kicking from his lorry where he was once again tied up and gagged before he was shepherded into a waiting motor boat which the gang had stolen a few days before. This was their back-up plan if the boarding of the ferries proved impossible. Number Three didn't want to risk being discovered hiding in the back of the lorry, so aggression was the only way. They also wanted to give the public a shock – they wanted it known that Torchwood was a failure and that their bright star had been taken by Britain's enemies.

Number Three sat beside the Doctor, with his arm around Kayleigh. Twenty men were with them, the boat just big enough to hold them all. "Take us in, Ten!" he said to one of his men.

The ferry was such a huge ship that no one on board even realised a small motor boat was travelling alongside it. Though it was bumpy, two of Daryl's men managed to secure a short rope to the side of the boat. Cocking their guns and making sure they were loaded, two men at a time started to climb up the side. Once they were onboard, chaos would ensue.

* * *

**A/N: **The Mistress of Doctor Angst and the Queen of Whump is forthcoming with chapter 11...


	11. Taking The Ferry

**A/N: **If a chapter does not contain at least one unconscious Doctor, I consider it a failure :o

* * *

Chapter 11 – Taking The Ferry

Two men entered the ferry's restaurant. At first no one took any notice of them – just two more faces in the sea of people going about their business on the ferry to France. The two men sat down at one of the tables, perfectly still, waiting for a command from their superior.

It was only a matter of seconds before it was issued.

"_Do it,"_ a voice hissed through one of the men's earpieces.

The men straightened up, and drew out their guns from inside their jackets. One fired off a a warning shot, and instantly the screaming began as passengers scrambled for the exits, only to be blocked by more armed men marching into the seating area.

"Get in the corner!" one of the men yelled, pointing his gun directly at a mother and their child. "Now!"

The crowd of people obeyed, terrified and unable to understand what was going on. They ran to the corner the gunmen indicated as several more gunmen appeared in the restaurant, forcing more people into the corner at gunpoint. A few people tried to make a break for it, but one warning shot from the gunmen stopped them abruptly in their tracks.

"If you do not comply you will be shot!" one of the gunmen yelled, but it didn't stop one of the crowd who ran for the door, arms flailing in terror. One of the gunmen pulled the trigger and the man fell to the floor instantly. He was dead. The crowd gasped in horror, falling silent out of pure shock and fear.

"Nobody move or make a sound!" the gunman who had shot the man commanded, reloading his gun with a definite click, panning it over the crowd. A few silent moments passed.

"Area is controlled, sir," one of the gunmen spoke into a microphone clipped onto his collar.

"_Good job, Number 12. Bringing in the prize now."_

The crowd of people could only watched as the door flew open and a man entered, dragging another man who was bound at the wrists and ankles, gagged. A woman followed on, looking slightly uneasy. The crowd recognised the captive man – he had been all over the news when his engagement had been announced... but surely it wasn't... John Smith? Rose Tyler's fiancé?

He had blood over his shirt from around his arm wrapped up in makeshift bandages, but was making a pretty good effort to make the man's dragging of him as difficult as possible. The man dragging him was frustrated and angry, planting a few sharp kicks into John Smith's abdomen. It didn't phase the captive though, he continued to struggle in his bonds until finally the man dragging him had had enough, and he grabbed John Smith's head and bashed it hard against the wooden floor. John Smith sagged instantly, plainly unconscious. The crowd watched on in terrified silence.

The man who had knocked him out spoke into a walkie talkie, perfectly calmly. "Number Nine, is the bridge secure?"

"_Yes sir," _a voice replied, sounding tinny from the communications system. _"The Captain is taking us to Calais, France."_

"Good. If the Captain shows any signs of resistance tell him we have every single passenger held at gunpoint, and if he fails to comply then we will shoot every last one of them."

"_Yessir."_

"Keep an eye on the communications systems. I want Torchwood to know what we've done. I want the entire public to know Torchwood is a failure."

"_Understood, sir."_

Number Three switched off the walkie talkie, lifting his head to look at the cowering crowd. He smiled, though there was no hint of joy in it.

"Come to me, Torchwood..."

* * *

The communications system of Torchwood went into meltdown as reports of a ferry being hijacked flooded in. Pete instantly sent out as many soldiers as Torchwood could spare to the dock, warranting several speedboats as helicopters packed with yet more soldiers took off.

"Mobilise all units!" Pete yelled into the mic. "Mobilise all units! Kill every single last one of this gang, I want this over today! John must not be harmed under any circumstances! Your orders are to take him straight to the ambulance helicopter for treatment!"

"What's happening?" Rose asked her father anxiously as he drew back from the microphone, wiping the building sweat from his forehead with a hanky.

"A ferry has been hijacked by armed men from the docks," he said, brow furrowing. "No reports of John but they were ferociously protecting something." He turned to look at his daughter, his expression serious. "We will get him back today, Rose. I promise."

* * *

Now that the commotion was on pause, Number Three was sitting at one of the restaurant tables with his feet propped up, sipping at a cup of tea as they waited for reports that Torchwood were on their way. The Doctor still lay unconscious on the floor by his feet, and had been for at least ten minutes through the utter silence in the ferry restaurant. Kayleigh was sat next to Number Three, accepting his embrace, but every now and then she nervously looked down at the Doctor.

The sound of a vintage ringtone broke the silence. Number Three reached into his pocket and drew out his mobile phone. He froze at the number on the screen, setting his tea down on the table and straightening up, alert.

"Sir," was the first word he spoke as he answered the phone. There was a pause before he spoke again, "the situation is under control, sir, I assure you." Pause. "The prize is secure and relatively unharmed." Pause. "He sustained a bullet wound to the shoulder in the exchange and in the commotion of hijacking the ferry one of the crew of the ferry knocked him unconscious. Neither are life threatening." Pause. "Sir, I apologise. These were totally unavoidable and I was indisposed in both situations." Pause. "I understand, sir. I am sorry, sir. Everything will be explained at the rendezvous. Thank you, sir. Good bye."

He hung up, looking slightly shaken.

"Daryl?" Kayleigh asked, getting to her feet beside him. "What did he say?"

Number Three didn't answer. He knelt down next to the unconscious Doctor, resting his fingers on his pulse point before turning him over to face up to the ceiling, shaking him slightly.

"Mr Smith, wake up."

He didn't. Number Three stared at the trail of blood emanating from a bruise on the Doctor's forehead for a moment, before he beckoned over two of his henchmen. "Find me a medical kit and locate 98."

Both men saluted, and disappeared.

"_Sir," _a voice suddenly buzzed from the walkie talkie. Number Three straightened.

"What?"

"_Torchwood have mobilised and are on their way."_

"Understood. Commence with the plan in exactly five minutes, beginning now. Time is fourteen minutes past eight, and 54 seconds."

A couple of minutes later the two men he had sent out returned, with another armed man and a medical kit. The man dubbed as 98 seemed to be versed in the field of medicine as he instantly set to work on treating the Doctor, loosening his gag and checking the wound on his head.

The clock ticked by in the ensuing silence before it reached the designated time. Instantly the gang began to move. The lifeboats of the ship were readied and the engines sabotaged. A single shot revealed the untimely death of the ship's Captain as the Doctor, still unconscious, was carried between two men to one of the many lifeboats.

When Torchwood arrived on the ferry ten minutes later, they found no gang, but did find two fatalities and at least five hundred passengers confused, scared and disorientated with no clue as to where the gang had come from, or most importantly, where they had gone.

"_I'm sorry sir,"_ one of the Torchwood soldier spoke into his microphone. _"No sign of the gang."_

Pete cursed, slamming his fist frustratedly onto the table before rubbing furiously at his temples. He was frustrated and angry with himself at the situation. Rose and Jackie had heard everything from across the communications room, holding each other tightly in apprehension. The gang had escaped, again. And John was still lost.

Suddenly the communications system went into an wild array of beeps and Pete sat up, suddenly alert as hope burned inside of him.

"There's reports of a rogue motor boat headed out to the North Atlantic Ocean..." Pete voiced aloud. He reached forward quickly to the comms once more. "Units, reports of activity, North Atlantic Ocean. Check position on your feed, go go go!"

* * *

The Doctor woke up, head aching badly and his arm still pulsating from the bullet wound. He winced as he opened his eyes ever so slightly, meeting the face of Number Three. The relief was apparent on his captor's face.

"Welcome back John, I was beginning to worry," Number Three said.

The Doctor didn't feel compelled to answer this. He looked down at himself, untied and ungagged and lying on a pile of soft blankets in, what seemed to be, the back of a lorry.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"We are currently in the back of a lorry about to take us through France to Italy," Number Three replied. "Torchwood are busy chasing a decoy ship across the North Atlantic. They are fools if they think we would allow ourselves to be caught so easily."

"Where are you taking me?"

Number Three smiled that cold smile. "To see Number One."

The Doctor closed his eyes again, biting his lip. For one shining moment he had believed that Torchwood would save him, that he'd be able to see Rose again... and his unborn children. How long had it been since he'd lain beside Rose in the warm comfortable bed of the mansion? It felt like years...

But now he was face-to-face with the possibility that he would never see Rose again. His children would grow up with a father either in captivity or dead.

Number Three was gone when he opened his eyes again, leaving just him and Kayleigh as the lorry began to move, taking him towards his unknown fate.

* * *

"Decoy," Peter Tyler muttered, anger evident in his eyes. "It was a decoy!!!"

He slammed his fists onto the table again, making his pen pot jump into the air. After a few moments he took some deep breaths, composing himself before he spoke into the microphone still sitting on his desk.

"We're not giving up," Pete said strongly. "Arrest everyone in the docks at Calais and question them. We _will _find John, they can't hide him forever!"


	12. Consequences

**A/N: **Quite a long chapter from me today... I just couldn't stop writing... when there is Doctor angst around who would want to stop writing?

* * *

Chapter 12 - Consequences

The attack on the ferry had been the main topic on the news the very next day and John's kidnapping had finally been made public. Pete had tried to bar the papers from printing the story, but there were too many eye-witnesses to even stop that leakage. He held up the _Daily Telegraph _and read the front line. It was a report by journalist Sandy Newman, a respected journo who was known only to print the facts and only the facts, whereas other papers were already printing false-truths and making up quotes said by either him or his staff. His family home was being bombarded by telephone calls from editors wishing to talk to Rose about the kidnap of her fiancée, as well as a few paparazzi and journalists waiting day and night outside the gates of the Tyler mansion. He sighed, tired and weary from everything that had happened in the last few days. He continued to read the report and saw Sandy quoting his own statement to the press. Pete had made the decision to confirm the details of the case as the public had a right to know.

**ROSE TYLER'S FIANCEE KIDNAPPED**

**FERRY HIJACKED**

For what started out as a trip to Calais, France, turned to hell for passengers of a Dover ferry, two nights ago, as the ship was ambushed by one of the notorious gangs that are known to operate in London. Two casualties have been confirmed last night; however their identities have yet to be released by Torchwood.

However, the once-controversial Torchwood, now headed by multi-billionaire Pete Tyler, confirmed last night that his soon to be son-in-law had been kidnapped over a month ago in a daring raid on a shopping centre in London. He admitted he had barred the press from reporting this incident as he hoped to 'settle the matter privately'.

Mr Tyler confirmed that an exchange had taken place before the ferry raid, but refused to comment on what happened. Passengers aboard the ferry said that Mr Smith's condition was far from healthy. They have stated he was tied and gagged throughout the raid and remained unconscious for the majority of his time aboard.

The gang left the ferry, leaving passengers confused and dazed, wondering why the attack had taken place. All the passengers onboard have been asked to talk to Torchwood. Foreign authorities have been informed of Mr Smith's kidnap and are now working with Torchwood to ensure his safe return.

Pete Tyler issued this statement to the press late last night: "We are working day and night to regain Mr John Smith. He is not only going to be my son-in-law, he is also a great friend and a brilliant asset to Torchwood. To lose him will be a great shame. We will not stop until we have found him and arrested those that are responsible for his continued suffering. We ask members of the public to inform us of any suspicious people lurking around who may be connected to this case. We have issued a photograph of the man believed to be in command of the gang. I humbly ask for anyone to come forward and break their silence if they know of him."

* * *

Pete laid the newspaper on his desk and stood up, stretching his legs. He rubbed his weary eyes and picked up his phone. He pressed the button that would automatically connect him to his home. Jackie answered immediately.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, worry engraved in his voice.

"Alright, I guess," mumbled Jackie. "I feel so guilty, Pete, for what I did. I just made things worse..."

Pete was shaking his head even before his wife had finished. "No, you didn't. You did what you thought was right in the circumstances. You didn't want him to suffer, neither did I, but I feared something like this would happen. We can't change what has happened but we can continue to be strong and hope that soon we can retrieve John and bring him back home." He blew her a kiss down the phone line. "How is Rose?"

"Rose is doing ok. She's spending most of her time with Tony, it keeps her mind off what has happened."

"Good," said Pete, feeling reassured that his daughter was keeping herself busy through her brother. "And the reporters? Are they still out there?"

"Yes," replied Jackie, woefully. "I think more have arrived. They've even started to surround our gardens. We can't go anywhere without our photos being taken."

Pete growled in anger. "That's enough. I'm gonna call the President and ask him to issue an edict on our behalf banning anyone from approaching our home. It's not right you have to deal with this while I'm at the office most of the day."

Over the phone came the sound of crying. Pete recognised instantly that it was his son. Jackie's frantic voice came over the phone. "Sorry, Pete. I've gotta go. Tony 'as 'ad an accident. Tell you later." She abruptly put the phone down and Pete leaned back in his chair. It was only 11am and he was already wishing he was at home, despite the chaos he knew was raining.

Pushing those thoughts out of his head, he leaned forward and began to pour over more reports from his operatives. Right now he needed Kayleigh to be doing this job for him, but her betrayal had made it hard for him to trust anyone with the sensitive information he now held in his hands. Anyone that was a member of Torchwood could leak this information to the media. If James Keegan had still been alive, he would have asked him to handle this, but his death ensured that more responsibility was put on Pete's shoulders.

* * *

The Doctor had stayed in the back of the lorry with Kayleigh for two days while the lorry travelled throughout France and into Italy. Number Three remained in the back of the lorry with them but he spent the majority of his time away from them, giving them a little bit of privacy. The Doctor remained free from his bonds but he knew from hints from Kayleigh that this wasn't going to last long.

When the lorry stopped and the door opened, he knew that he had only one chance of escape, no matter how weak he felt. He had been told by Kayleigh that the benefactor behind his kidnapping didn't want him harmed, however he had sustained a bullet wound and now had a thumping headache from being hit in the head a bit too much. He could use that to his advantage.

Number Three stalked towards him, accompanied by three others. In his hand, Daryl held a gun and he pointed it at the Doctor's head, motioning for him to get up. He could see in the dim light shining through the lorry's door that one of the men next to Daryl was holding several lengths of rope. He had been right that he had little freedom before he was tied up again.

Placing a hand on the side of lorry where he was leaning, the Doctor struggled to get to his feet, whimpering in pain as he attempted to pull himself up on his wounded and bandaged arm. He was putting the pain he was in on a bit, but his ploy worked when Number Three lowered the gun and said to the man holding the ropes: "We won't need them. He's too weak to fight against us. I would have thought he might have regained some strength by now."

"You were meant to deliver me unharmed... tying me up won't do me any good..." the Doctor panted, as he locked gazes with his captor.

Two of the men strolled forward under Daryl's guidance and lifted him by his arms, being careful not to touch his wound. They helped him walk to the doors of the lorry where he was gingerly lifted to the ground. The Doctor looked around, noticing that he was on the edge of a beach, one that was deserted. He noticed a sign saying 'private property'. Obviously whoever owned the beach was the person who wanted him alive. Trepidation filled his stomach. Out to sea he could see the dim shape of an island in the distance. He assumed that was his destination.

He felt a prod in his back and he stumbled forward, nearly falling over as he was forced towards a motor boat that was moored to a cave wall further along the beach. He didn't have much time, so he acted, rather impulsively, but if he didn't try, he knew he would regret it. He pulled his arms out of the grips of the two gang members holding him, swinging one hand round to punch one of his captors in the face. Taking his chance, the Doctor made a run for it, his feet pounding in the sand, his one heart beating furiously inside his chest. He didn't dare look back, but he knew that they were on his trail, determined to recapture him.

He could feel his energy depleting. He barely had enough strength, but he had to keep on going. His head began to swim and his vision turned fuzzy. He tripped and fell onto his face, sand going up his nose and into his mouth. He coughed and spluttered and tried to get back to his feet, but he felt a boot on his back, pushing him back down and a gun pressed against the back of his head.

"That was not a wise move, Mr Smith," hissed Number Three in his ear, twisting his fingers into the Doctor's hair. His voice was filled with anger, and the Doctor was sure that if Daryl didn't have orders to deliver him unharmed he would have been punished for his little excursion.

His arms were pulled roughly behind him. His wrists were tied tightly together and the Doctor could feel pain emanating from the bullet wound in his shoulder. He had to ignore the pain. They wanted him to scream and he vowed not to give them the satisfaction of hearing him voice his agony. He was grabbed by his collar and forced to his feet. He now had no help from his captors. Daryl kept his gun pushed against the Doctor's back, his finger always on the trigger. The Doctor fell several times before they made it to the motor boat. They secured him to the side of the boat, just to be careful, in case their prisoner decided to take a leap of faith out of the boat and into the sea.

Throughout the journey to the island, Number Three kept his gun on the Doctor. Kayleigh sat beside him, biting her lip. As they neared the island, the Doctor saw dense jungle, but he could see smoke rising into the sky. Waiting by the harbour on the island was a group of Italian men, or so the Doctor guessed. They certainly looked Italian to him anyway.

The five Italian men helped tie the boat to the harbour before they hauled the Doctor to his feet and pushed him along the beach and into the dense jungle where it opened up into a carefully crafted path. The Doctor was pushed along it, stumbling every so often as he tried to keep up with the fast trek of his captors. Number Three and his entourage followed behind.

Eventually they came to a house, probably a house the same size as Pete's mansion, but one that looked like it had been very expensive to build. The Doctor was dragged through the front door where Number Three, Kayleigh and the remaining members of his party parted company with the Italian men and turned left in the hallway to enter a room which they Doctor could not see into from his position.

"So, what is this all about?" the Doctor asked casually, hoping to find out exactly what these people wanted him for.

"SHUT UP!" was the response.

"There was no need for that. I asked a reasonable question!" retorted the Doctor.

SLAP!

"Ow!" If he could have rubbed his cheek where one of the Italian men had slapped him, the Doctor would have done.

"If you say another word, then we will not hesitate to hurt you. You're in our territory now, Mr Smith. You'd better learn to control that mouth of yours if you want to remain unhurt!"

The Doctor kept his mouth shut, deciding that it would not be a wise move to test this man's patience. He allowed himself to be dragged further down the hall, towards a cell that had been specifically built for him in the basement of the mansion.

* * *

Daryl Ferguson knelt in front of Number One. The man was his Uncle, but he was still a formidable opponent and one not to be crossed. Kayleigh stood at the back of the hall with his other comrades in arms. Daryl raised his head and looked at Garav Shweninghar, his mother's brother. Garav had been a father to him since his own dad had died tragically in suspicious circumstances. He had vowed to serve Garav to repay him for all the things he had taught him. His mother had been Italian but his father British.

"Perhaps you can tell me why my prize has been harmed when I specified that he not be?" the cool voice of his Uncle sent shivers racing down Daryl's spine.

"It was unavoidable. In the exchange he sustained a bullet wound as Torchwood operatives tried to retrieve him. And on the ferry a passenger knocked into him, as I explained over the phone," replied Daryl.

"I am not interested in those injuries, Ferguson, I am interested in the ones he received in your care before the exchange was arranged. Did I not specify that no harm was to come to him? You failed me, and you know what happens when you fail."

Daryl trembled under his Uncle's steely glare. "I thought I was doing what was right in the situation before me. We needed the money, and I thought forcing his family to watch his suffering would make them pay the ransom."

Garav glared down at his nephew. "You still disobeyed my orders, Daryl. Therefore you shall pay the price." His Uncle looked up and he spoke to two Italian men who were standing behind Daryl. "Take Kayleigh to my chambers."

Daryl's eyes widened. "No! You can't!"

Garav locked eyes with his nephew. "You disobeyed me, you know the price. She will suffer for your mistakes."

Daryl lowered his head, understanding that he could not save his girlfriend from what his Uncle intended for her.

* * *

The Doctor was thrown into a cell and forced down onto a bed. He struggled for what it was worth but found it was impossible to escape the grasp of his captors. He found his arm sleeve being rolled up his arm and he hissed in pain as they inserted a needle into his vein. His followed the line attached to the needle and saw a bag bubbling away to the side, attached to the wall.

"What...are...you...doing?" he slurred.

"Putting you to sleep, Mr Smith," was the reply.

"Why?" he asked, his eye lids feeling heavy.

"You need to heal before our boss has any use for you," said the other gang member holding him down.

The Doctor's eyes closed as his body submitted to the drug that was circulating around his body. Despite the fact he was being put to sleep to heal, the drug used did not stop him from dreaming terrible images. The one that was most recurring was him witnessing the death of Rose and his children...

* * *

It had been two weeks since the ferry raid and six weeks since the Doctor's initial kidnap and there had been no sign of the Doctor or of the gang members. They had vanished from the face of the Earth. Rose was depressed and spent the majority of her time at Torchwood. Her belly was slightly rounded and she was beginning to show, but as she was expecting twins she had known that she would show quicker.

She felt a pat on her shoulder and she looked up to find Pete looking down at her. "How are you?"

"I'm doin' alright," commented Rose, as she turned back to the paperwork in front of her.

"You should be at home, resting," said Pete.

"I know that, but I can't sit around and wait for something to happen. I've got to work. It'll keep my mind off what is happening." She looked up at her father, her eyes swimming with tears. "I've gotta be strong for my children. I could bring them up without their father. But he is still out there, fightin', and I should be here helpin' you, not sittin' at home and waitin'. I'm more use here then I would be at home. I'd jus' get on mum's nerves all the time."

Pete nodded, realising that Rose was right. All they could do was carry on with their lives and hope that a sign would come to them as to where John was. He knew it was hard for Rose, but he admired her for keeping on going...

He would get John back, no matter what.

* * *

**A/N: **And back to the Queen of Fanfic, reddwarfaddict, we go...


	13. Giving Up

**A/N: **And as we all anxiously wait for End Of Time Part 2...

* * *

Chapter 13 – Giving Up

_Rose was standing in front of him, her beautiful brown eyes filled with shining tears as she stared at him sadly._

"_I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she whispered._

"_Rose?" he asked, confused. He wanted to move towards her but somehow his legs wouldn't move..._

"_I'm really sorry," she said again, staring directly into his eyes._

"_Rose, what..."_

_She looked down. The Doctor followed her gaze, confused and disorientated. He saw the bloodstains rolling down her legs from under her maternity dress..._

"_I'm so sorry," she said again. _

"_Please," he whispered, stumbling backwards. "No... please..."_

"_I miscarried..."_

"_No..." The Doctor's breath caught in his throat as his eyes flooded with tears. "No... this isn't happening, this isn't fair..." Tears rolled down his face as suddenly grief turned straight to anger. "They were MINE! IT'S NOT FAIR!"_

_Rose didn't verbally reply. She simply opened her arms to him, welcoming him into an embrace. He forced himself to calm down as he moved forward, heaving great sobs as he reached out to Rose..._

_His arms didn't touch anything._

_He opened his eyes, taking a few steps back. She was still there, staring at him sadly... He raised his hand towards her, trying to cup her face, but his hand passed straight through her body._

_She suddenly turned on her heel, walking away across the blackness in a casual stride._

"_No! Please don't leave me!" He began to run after her with his arm outstretched, desperately trying to reach her. But it seemed even though she was walking and he was running, he was getting further and further away. His legs ached, his chest hurting with every step, but he wasn't about to give up. He pushed himself, legs striding, arms swinging. He was getting closer... closer..._

_Suddenly something caught beneath his foot and with a yelp of surprise he looked down, seeing the floor coming up to meet his face..._

* * *

The Doctor jerked awake with a start, shooting up to sitting position panting and gasping for air. Dream. It had been a dream. Just a dream...

He looked to his right, somehow subconsciously expecting Rose to be lying there asleep. She wasn't. All he saw were medical monitors and IV's crowding the bed he was lying in, but none of which were currently attached to him. Bandages on his arms signified that they had been at one point in time.

His mind wandered back to the dream, of Rose's miscarriage, her bleeding right before his eyes. He shivered at the mere thought that she might lose their babies. Doubt was beginning to cloud his mind, now. Was she even pregnant? Maybe Number Three had made it up to make him obey...

He didn't know _what_ to think anymore. All of the injuries he'd acquired had since vanished seemingly into thin air – he mentally gauged the amount of time he'd been unconscious with his time sense... Three weeks.

He was in a small white medical room with dimensions of a perfect 4 by 4, no windows, no pictures, nothing. He threw back the cover and pushed himself onto his legs, almost collapsing as they struggled to support his weight. He fell back down onto the bed, and for a few moments just flexed his leg muscles in an attempt to regain control. When he felt daring enough he pushed himself up once again, supporting himself on the bedrail. After a minute he let go, wobbling dangerously before he finally stayed put.

He looked up to the door of the room. It was painted totally white like the rest of the room, not even a window at the top. He staggered over to it, almost falling over but he managed to catch himself on the door handle. He twisted, pulling and pushing in an attempt to get it open, but it was locked.

Without even realising it he was reaching up to take out his sonic screwdriver, before realising dully that he didn't even have one anymore.

For twenty minutes he circulated the room, trying to find a possible route of escape – but there was absolutely nothing. Sighing, he dropped down onto the bed again, head in his hands.

* * *

"Well, it seems everything is fine, Miss Tyler," the hospital doctor said, smiling as he stared at the sonogram on the monitor. "Both of them are perfectly healthy and growing normally."

Rose smiled, squeezing her grip on her mother's hand. "That's good. He'd be happy."

"Would you like to know their genders?"

Rose paused for a moment, contemplating. Then she nodded. "Yes, please."

"Congratulations, you have two girls!"

Rose's smile widened, genuine and full like Jackie hadn't seen since the Doctor had been taken. "That's brilliant," Rose said happily, "thank you!" She looked to Jackie standing beside her, smiling too. "Would he like that?"

"I'm sure he would love it, sweetheart," Jackie assured her, but could already see Rose was starting to waver. It came as no surprise to Jackie that moments later she burst into tears.

"I want him back, Mum..." she sobbed as Jackie gathered her into a tight hug. "I want him back with me..."

"It'll be okay, love," Jackie whispered gently. "Pete will sort it all out."

"It's not fair..." she gasped. "They're gonna kill him... they're gonna kill him or hurt him and I want him Mum, I want to feel him again... I love him, I need him..."

"Everything's gonna be fine, sweetheart. I promise."

* * *

It had been hours since the Doctor had woken up and still nothing had happened. He was truly beginning to question his own sanity. What was real? What wasn't? Was Rose pregnant? Had Number Three lied?

Then came the insane questions. Had everything since the shopping centre actually happened? Did The Organisation exist, or did he just dream everything up?

He _was_ in the parallel world, wasn't he? With Rose? He had been born out of the hand, hadn't he? Or was that all a lie, too? He rested a hand on his chest, where one heart beat beneath his palm. Okay, so he was part-human, that much was true. But what about everything else?

He was beginning to go insane...

The door of the Doctor's room suddenly clicked. The Doctor jerked abruptly out of his daydream, blinking as two armed men entered the room. He pushed himself to his feet, standing his ground.

"What do you want with me?" he demanded to know. The men didn't answer. They simply grabbed both of his arms and hauled him bodily across the room, out of the doorway. Now he knew at least some of what was real. He was going to meet Number One.

* * *

Rose was staring at the photo sat on her work desk. It was of the Doctor. Specifically her Doctor, anyway, of John and her moments after he'd proposed. He was hugging her tightly in both arms, grinning roguishly at the camera as she herself smiled happily. His hair was flopping down over his face, his beautiful eyes looking out at her now as she stared at the photo.

"Rose."

Her father's voice was low and serious. She got up immediately from her desk, eyes wide. "What?"

Pete Tyler entered, quietly shutting the door behind him. "Sit down," he said.

"Oh God," she whispered, dropping back down into her seat. "He's dead."

Pete shook his head quickly. "Rose, I'm calling off the search..."

"What?!"

"The ship we chased was a decoy. There's been absolutely no signs of the gang since the ferry. They've disappeared..."

"Did you ask the workers?" Rose asked anxiously, "at the port?"

"Yes," Pete replied solemnly. "No one knew anything. I'm sorry, Rose, but the gang have disappeared, and taken John with them..."

"No!" she cried suddenly on her feet again. "There has to be _something! _You can't call it off!"

"I'm sorry, Rose," he said again. "We'll keep an eye out, but..."

"You can't do this!" Rose practically screamed, slamming her fists on the table as the tears arrived. "He needs us! He needs us to save him!"

"If there was something I could do, Rose..."

"Please, Dad..." she was begging now as she dropped back down into her chair, staring at the photo on her desk. "I've only just got him back, I can't lose him again..."

Pete didn't answer verbally. He just moved forward to her, wrapping his arms around her in a hug as she sobbed her heart out for the Doctor.

* * *

**A/N: **We're being caught up with. Well, I've been the one that's been slacking :x To the-writer1988!


	14. Number One

**A/N:** You can blame me for a lack of update... what can I say, its been snowing? Lots and lots and lots!! Though I think I've seen enough of it now that could last me a life time to be honest... Erm, oh yes, where were we? Ah, yes, the next chapter to Ransom!

* * *

Chapter 14 – Number One

The Doctor was dragged along by the two Italian men that had retrieved him from his cell. Three weeks he had been kept asleep and his body healed from all the injuries he had sustained under the care of Daryl Ferguson. But now he was finally going to meet the person who had authorised his kidnapping in the first place. The questions that had been plaguing him since his abduction would finally be answered. He was hauled through the hallways, his captors keeping a tight grip on his arms. He knew he had the strength to escape them, but he understood that it would be futile to attempt escape.

Finally they reached a room, where he was dragged into. He looked around, his eyes settling on the man that was sitting on a red velvet sofa, his black eyes boring into the Doctor's. This man emanated evil. This was not going to be good, the Doctor could tell. The men holding him forced him onto his knees and tied his wrists behind his back. It was a precaution, the Doctor figured, just in case he tried anything.

The man sitting in front of him got to his feet and walked slowly and purposefully towards his captive. When he reached him, he grabbed the Doctor's hair and wrenched his head up, stretching his captive's neck and the Doctor feared that the man intended on snapping his neck in half. It was a worry that should not have passed through his mind. This man needed him for something – he wouldn't orchestrate his kidnapping only to heal him and then kill him on delivery.

"Mr Smith, welcome to my abode..." he hissed, as he wrenched the Doctor's head back further.

"What. Do. You. Want. With. Me?" demanded the Doctor, panting under the strain the man was putting on his spine.

"Your brain, Mr Smith. England doesn't deserve you." He let go of the Doctor's hair. "But I do."

"That's a bit narrow-minded isn't it?" the Doctor asked. "You don't own me. You have no right to kidnap me and hold me against my will."

The man chuckled. "Oh, I do, Mr Smith. I always get what I want. You will soon learn that obeying me is in your best interests... after all, now that you are in my hands, I can do whatever I want to you to ensure obedience."

The Doctor glared daggers at the man. "No amount of pain will force me to do your will!" he yelled.

"Such a stubborn one... You don't even know what I want you to do. You might find you agree with me and wish to serve me." His captor grinned at him. He was mad. Utterly mad and deranged. Two things that were not a good thing.

"So tell me what you want me for," replied the Doctor, his voice hard.

His captor knelt down in front of him. "You don't want to know my name?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. This man was full of contradictions. "Very well, who are you?" he asked, just to humour him.

The man stood up and spread his arms wide. "I am Garav Shweninghar!"

The Doctor raised one eyebrow. "Am I meant to be impressed?"

SLAP!

"Ow! That hurt!" chastised the Doctor.

Garav's right hand grabbed him by the throat. "Don't tempt me, John! You know full well who I am! I was all over the papers three years ago! I am very recognisable when it comes to those in England!"

"Considering I wasn't around three years ago, I have no idea who you are," stated the Doctor. He was slipping into dangerous territory here. He had to make up an excuse because he _hadn't _been around then. "I travelled the world years ago. I was completely out of touch."

"I know that is a lie," hissed Garav. He moved away from the Doctor and picked up a piece of paper. "On this page I have facts about you. You have NEVER travelled the world. You were born and raised in North London. Your parents_ tragically_ died in a car accident when you were eighteen. You are an only child. You have an IQ that exceeds any human being on this planet. You studied at Oxford University and gained degrees Triple Chemisty, Biology and Physics. You achieved a First. You worked in an office in London for fifteen years before Torchwood tracked you down and employed you. I know everything about you, John. You never travelled the world. You're too smart for that."

The Doctor sighed. Pete had added a back story and history for him. Only his very trusted personnel knew what and who John Smith really was. Faking his history and identity had been essential to ensuring his smooth transition into society. His first true appearance had been when he and Rose had been papped by photographers, their photos sold to the papers who had in turn run their romance as a cover story. That had been when the reporters had dug up his details.

"What do you want me for?" He had to distract Garav from pursuing this line of dialogue and instead get him to reveal his true purpose.

Thankfully, Garav took the bait and moved back to his chair and sat down, leaving the Doctor kneeling on the floor at his feet. "You are a brilliant man, Mr Smith, scientifically brilliant. I was a man in government, a very powerful man, but I was caught doing something I shouldn't have done. I passed on money to the fellow members of the mafia and I was given the choice of imprisonment or life-long expulsion from the country I loved. The money I gave to the mafia had no intention of using it against Britain, they were going to use it to root out the gangs that operated on British soil, but no one believed me. I opted for life-long expulsion."

"Let me guess," interrupted the Doctor, "you want revenge, correct? And that's what you need me for? You want me to build some sort of super weapon and send it hurtling towards the people I love, all because they didn't believe your 'good intentions'?"

Garav folded his arms. "I want the people who ridiculed me to suffer. I want the people who refused to take my past into account to suffer." He sat up in his chair and pulled himself to his feet where he walked forward so that the Doctor was forced to crane his neck to look at his captor. "You will create a lethal gas, one from scratch, that can slowly kill people and can be passed onto others through human contact. I will unleash it in public areas until the government is disbanded and I am allowed back into the country as a hero, one who made the right thing and was falsely accused of treason."

"Do you really think I am going to say yes to that considering my fiancée and our unborn children reside in the country you want to destroy? Think again, mate," hissed the Doctor, falling back into his 'Donna-mode'.

Garav's eyes bore down into the Doctor's. "Then you will suffer the consequences of your choice." He looked up at the two guards standing near the door. He motioned for them to come forward and they did so. "Take his shirt off."

The Doctor found his shirt being cut from his body. He was forced to his feet and dragged over to a table where he was knelt in front of it and his hands unbound and then tied to the table leg. His back was bare and he knew what was coming, just by pure instinct.

The first hit by the belt shredded his skin, reddening it; the second drew a little blood, but the third, in the same spot on his back, caused a thin line of blood to slide down his back and start to pool on the floor. He swallowed, trying to fight through the pain. This time the belt landed on a different spot on his back and he gasped with pain, trying to forestall the screams that he knew would eventually be torn from his throat.

But he wasn't expecting what happened when a second belt landed on his back, seconds after the other belt had landed. He screamed in agony, tears nearly leaking out of his eyes. The same process carried on for another ten strikes before the torture stopped by which time his back was covered in blood. The Doctor panted, waiting for the next strike.

"Take him to his cell," he heard Garav say to the two guards. "Strip him too. Tie his hands behind his back. Let the cold of his new home bite at his naked flesh."

The Doctor was barely aware as he was dragged down the hallway, agony sweeping up his back with every jolt. He was thrown into dark, grim cell and his trousers, socks and shoes were ripped from his body leaving him naked in the dark. His hands were roughly tied behind him so that he could feel the wounds on his back where the belt had hit. He felt sick and already he was cold and shivered in the coldness.

"This is the price you pay for defying the master," said one of the guards.

They left him lying there in the cell and closed the door, shutting whatever light had been sneaking through from the hallway. He was alone and very scared. All he wanted was Rose.

* * *

Rose shuffled reports on her desk, putting the ones she had read into a pile and the ones she had not in another pile. She picked up the next one and the contents caught her eye. There had been reports of materials going missing in Italy, and it had started a few hours after the Doctor had been whisked from the ferry... surely there was some sort of link?

She took out her mobile phone from her pocket, and rested one hand on her belly where the twins laid. She nearly dialled the number of James but caught herself. He had been a dear friend to her. He would have been the person she would have called in this situation, but now she had to turn to someone else: the only other person in Torchwood she could trust.

"Gary," she said. "It's Rose, I need your help."

She told him about the report she had read and asked him for his thoughts.

"I think you have come to a sound conclusion – it is a tenuous link but it is worth following up. It is worth noting that the materials that have been taken, of combined could become something lethal if given to the right hands..."

"You mean John, right?" asked Rose.

"I do."

"I don't want to tell dad about this," explained Rose. "Let's not involve him until we have more information."

Gary accepted this. "I will contact some people I know in Italy and ask them to keep an eye out for us. I will inform you of any developments."

"Thank you," replied Rose. She had started the ball rolling. She had hope once more, now all she had to do was wait and see if anything came of her suspicions of the report.

* * *

**A/N:** You must know now how much we both love Doctor whump! This is not the end of it... by far!!!


	15. The Truth

**A/N:** Hmm, I have nothing to say :o

* * *

Chapter 15 - The Truth

The Doctor woke up, and instantly wished he hadn't. He groaned loudly as sharp pains screamed across his back from the lashings he'd received but a day previously, untreated. He couldn't tell if they were still bleeding but he could feel his hands, still tied behind his back, sticky with his own blood that had seeped down over them during the time he'd been unconscious.

He was still naked, and he was utterly freezing. He couldn't control his shivering as he opened his eyes, but it was so dark it wasn't much different to them being closed. Suddenly there was a spark of light and he found Kayleigh kneeling down next to him, holding a lighter.

"How are you feeling?" she said gently.

"Oh, you know, just peachy," the Doctor replied, grunting as he struggled to sit up. Kayleigh helped him, careful not to touch the wounds on his back.

"Daryl was punished for letting you be hurt," she said, her voice wavering. The Doctor didn't say anything, knowing there was an ending to that sentence. "Number One's men... took me to his bedroom."

The Doctor didn't need a diagram. "I'm so sorry."

"Daryl's been watching me ever since. He feels guilty. I just managed to sneak down and see you." Tears were welling in her eyes. "I didn't know you'd be hurt so badly..."

The Doctor sighed, wincing as his back twinged in pain. "It's okay, this is my fault. I told Number One there was no way in hell I was doing what he wanted and he got a little tetchy."

"What does he want you to do?"

"He want me to create a lethal gas that can pass on through human contact. He wants to unleash it on British soil to innocent people."

Kayleigh put her hand over her mouth, shocked. "W-Why?"

"Revenge or something," the Doctor said with a sigh. "I could never understand humans..."

As soon as the words left his lips, he realised what he'd said. He looked up sharply, finding Kayleigh staring at him in confusion.

"I didn't say that," the Doctor said quickly, but it was too late.

"I always knew there was something different about you," she said, gazing at him, scrutinising. "I was the one to create your history. I thought you were just some overseas secret agent needing a new life... But you're not, are you?"

"Have you told Number Three about my history?" the Doctor asked seriously, not making eye contact.

"No," she replied. "I never really thought about it." She paused, still staring at him. "Just who are you, John?"

He sighed, and then he began to explain. The parallel universes, the Doctor, Donna, the metacrisis... When he'd finished Kayleigh was gazing at him, her jaw dropped.

"Do you believe me?" he asked after a few moment's pause.

She swallowed, still staring at him in awe. "It makes so much sense. All your blood samples from medicals kept going missing. And the way you just sauntered in one day with Rose, announcing your engagement weeks later... I know for a fact Rose was single and not looking the day before you arrived." Thoughts were crashing into her head as suddenly everything slotted neatly into place. "She offered to use the dimension cannon to find you, didn't she? Or at least the Doctor, anyway." She paused for a moment, still wide-eyed and staring. "Does Mr Tyler know?"

The Doctor nodded. "He met the Doctor before. Bit of a shock for him when we met, but I think he's over that now," he said, forcing a smile. "So you believe me?"

"You can't be lying," Kayleigh concluded.

"Then please," the Doctor began, unintentionally leaning forwards and as a result was rewarded with sharp pains coursing all the way up his back. He took a moment to ride the wave of pain before opening his eyes again and looking at Kayleigh, whose expression had turned to one of concern. "Please help me."

She rested a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently. "I already am."

* * *

"Rose," Gary's voice sounded from the doorway. Rose looked up, instantly alert. "I've got a reply."

She beckoned Gary over to her desk, standing up as he put a single piece of paper in the centre of the cluttered desk.

"It's a list of missing materials and the quantities," he explained as Rose scanned the list.

"We need to figure out what they can create together," she muttered, picking up the piece of paper. "Is Justin still around this time?"

Gary nodded. The Temporary Scientific Advisor was always in late on Tuesdays.

* * *

Rose, Gary and Justin were still in Torchwood well past midnight, cups of coffee strewn all across the desk as they put their brains together to figure out just what exactly the missing materials could be used for.

"Most of these are delicate, hazardous materials..." Justin was saying

"Could they make something lethal?" Gary suddenly asked, almost fearfully.

Justin paused, and then nodded. "Quite easily."

"Somethin' explosive?" Rose asked.

"Possibly," Justin replied, scratching his chin. "Or something virulent. I wouldn't know specifically, if John were here he could..." he trailed off. Rose's heart sank.

"This is it, this is what they need him for, isn't it?" she said. "To do something with these materials, make them into something lethal. Because he's the only one in the world clever enough to do it."

Gary and Justin didn't even need to answer that.

Suddenly Rose's phone went off. She quickly delved a hand into her pocket, expecting it to be her Mum or her Dad asking where the hell she was, but it was neither.

**New message received.**

**From: Kay**

**View message?**

**Yes No**

"It's Kayleigh," Rose whispered. Gary and Justin sat up instantly, alert.

Rose swallowed, and then hit 'yes' on the phone.

**i didnt kno what they wanted 2 do with him.**

**i thought it was about the money, i thought they wouldnt hurt him.**

**im lookin after him 4 u.**

**im sorry.**

**ill b in touch. pls dont txt back.**

**Kay x**

* * *

**A/N:** Cheese toasties?


	16. Operation: Rescue

**A/N: **You can blame me for this: life has got in the way and will probably get in the way even more. I'm starting a new job very soon, so I might be bone-dead tired for the next few weeks to write anything, but I'll try my best to get a lot done before I do start. It's only fair to warn our loyal readers of this. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

* * *

Chapter 16 – Operation: Rescue

"You received a message from Kayleigh?" Pete was flabbergasted. He took Rose's phone and read the message. "I don't think we can trust her... She betrayed us, I can't forgive her for that."

"But dad," said Rose, trying to keep her patience, "it might be our only hope. We've traced a link that could give us a clue to John's whereabouts. I think this is worth following up... what if she is repentant? So what if she might be leading us on... but I don't think she is!"

Pete rubbed his face with a weary hand. "What have you find out?"

Gary stepped forward to explain. "Rose contacted me about a report of missing materials in Italy. All of these materials," here he handed a piece of paper to Pete, "could be used to create something lethal, if given to capable hands. Burglaries from the various businesses affected correspond to a few hours just after John being taken from the ferry. I think it is worth following up, sir."

"If I decide to dispatch two agents to follow this through, who would you have me choose?" asked Pete. They could see he was loathing to waste resources in this, but he knew if he didn't follow this up, he would have Rose bugging him until he did. He couldn't fail her... there was a chance the Doctor could still be saved.

"I would go," said Gary, "and I would report back to Rose, who would, I hope, pass any information I acquire onto you. As for my partner in crime I would select Jet Black. I know he is new to Torchwood, but this might be a good assignment to test out his skills. He is part of the Stealth Department – he's been itching to go out on a field mission."

"Are you sure you want to involve a rookie in this?" asked Rose.

"I know you fear for John, Rose, but testing Jet on this type of mission enables us to evaluate him too."

Rose nodded. "I have just one question..."

"What?"

"Jet Black?"

Gary chuckled. "His parents had a sense of humour."

* * *

Jet Black was twenty-two years old. He was quite young to be involved in the Stealth Department at Torchwood, now he had to prove his worth. He was scared and worried about his impending first mission, but he knew if he fouled up it would end his career with Torchwood so quickly, he wouldn't have a chance to blink before being decommissioned from service.

He glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He was quite a good-looking lad, or that was what Kayleigh used to say to him before she turned traitor. He lived up to his name: his hair was jet black, had been ever since he had been born. Oddly enough both of his parents had been blonde; obvious the black hair had missed a generation. His hair was quite messy and stuck up at the back but it suited him. He had dark, chocolate eyes, inherited from his mother. His skin was a toned brown. He had a lop-sided smile that, apparently, made a girl's heart melt.

He took a deep breath. "Okay, I can do this. You can't fail at this Jet. You've worked your whole life to get here. You can do it."

Trying to ignore the nerves that were building up in his stomach, Jet picked up the rucksack that he had packed and went to join Gary at the airport.

* * *

"I hear there has been some development..." said Jackie as Rose arrived home with her father that evening.

"We hope," said Rose as she ditched her hand-bag at the bottom of the stairs. "I found a report that might indicate where John is..." She bit her lip. "Gary and a member of the SD have been flown over to Italy to see if they can trace anything..." She didn't want to say anymore. She didn't want to get her hopes up.

"But you have hope," said Jackie, pulling her daughter into a hug.

"Maybe..." whispered Rose, pulling away from her mother.

All they could do was wait until either Gary or Jet reported in.

* * *

The Doctor had slept fitfully through the night. He was so cold, his body shivering. His teeth chattered. He would have had his arms wrapped around his body but the fact that they were still tied behind his back was preventing him from giving him that little bit of comfort. His fingers felt icy and he couldn't feel his toes. He didn't even look up when the door to his cell opened and in walked two guards. They grabbed him by the biceps and hauled him to his feet, expecting him to stand on his own accord. He didn't and collapsed, groaning in pain.

His entire world exploded in pain as one of the guards kicked him in the stomach. He choked on a scream.

"Walk!" one hissed in his ear.

"I can't!" replied the Doctor, stubbornly.

The other guard began to untie his hands from his back, not being careful at all to avoid touching the wounds. They moved his arms to the front and tied his wrists together again. He was pulled to his feet and made to walk. He tried his best to keep his balance.

"Am I expected to walk naked through my prison? Am I not allowed any dignity?" he asked. He was being rude, but he was simply beyond caring. He was fed up of being hurt, of being tortured... all he wanted was to be back in the arms of Rose.

SLAP!

He reeled from the slap to his cheek, nearly stumbling to the floor, but managing to keep his balance. He gritted his teeth, determined to not show any weakness. He walked through the corridors, the guards still gripping his arms, though they knew he couldn't escape. He was brought to the same room he had met Garav Shweninghar and forced to kneel in the middle of the room. He was the only one in the room, save for the guards stationed at the door. He took deep calming breaths.

He heard the approach of footsteps and knew his captor had entered the room. Garav did not go straight to his designated chair; instead he hovered behind the Doctor, not saying a word. And then, the Doctor felt fingers on the skin of his shoulders and he stiffened. The hand moved down his back, barely touching the skin and then Garav's nails plunged into one of the lacerations on his back, dragging his finger nails down.

A scream was ripped from his throat and the Doctor's eyes fuzzed over. He felt his head being pulled back and he dimly heard the voice of Garav ordering him not to succumb to the darkness. He was then pushed to the floor by Garav, who calmly stepped over the Doctor's trembling body and sat in his chair.

Tears were welling from the Doctor's eyes and his breathing was quicker. He was so scared. He didn't want to die here, but he knew he couldn't give Garav what he wanted.

"Now, are you going to do what I want?" asked his captor.

In extreme pain, but not without will-power the Doctor pushed himself up so that he was once more facing Garav. "No," he hissed.

"Then you have only yourself to blame for the consequences," replied Garav. He looked to the two guards who stood by the door. "Take him."

* * *

Kayleigh couldn't watch anymore. She turned away from the Doctor who was thrashing in his bonds, screaming loudly. He screeched as a burning rod of metal was whacked across the back of his legs. Tears were falling down his cheeks, unable to hold in the agony that he was suffering. Daryl had brought her down here, thinking that she would enjoy it.

"I can't do this, Daryl," she said to him as he continued to look at the spectacle before him.

"I thought you were woman enough to stomach this," puffed Daryl. "Turns out I was wrong."

"Do you really believe any of this is right?" yelled Kayleigh suddenly, pointing through the window at the Doctor's arching body. "Torturing him because he won't poison millions of innocent people? Do you really believe that is the solution? Your Uncle is insane!"

Daryl glared daggers at her. "How dare you! How dare you insult my family!" he spat. He raised his hand as if to hit her but he didn't. "I love you Kays, I thought we were in this together..."

Kayleigh was shaking her head. "Not like this... you never told me this, your true purpose. I thought we would let him go after we had the money... If your Uncle carries on like this he is going to kill him. He won't be in any fit shape to do what has been asked of him."

"You don't think he will give in? He would rather die than be hurt?"

Kayleigh nodded fervently. She swallowed, hating herself for this but it was the only way to spare the Doctor this pain. "Tell your Uncle to threaten Rose. If he doesn't comply, tell him to abduct Rose and brought here and have her killed in front of John. He won't want to see her hurt. That avoids hurting him and depleting his strength. He will give in if you threaten the woman he loves."

"Are you sure?" asked Daryl, cagily. After her insult on his Uncle, he didn't know whether he should trust her, but he knew if faced with the same threat if he had been in John's position he would have given in to. It was worth a shot, and maybe his Uncle would agree. "Fine. I'll seek an audience with him. Do me a favour, Kays, make sure the guards don't go too far on him, after all we don't want him to die after what we've done to acquire him." He indicated the Doctor who was close to unconsciousness, almost unaware of what was being done to him.

As Daryl walked off, Kayleigh resolved to help the Doctor in any way she could.

* * *

_What have I done? _thought Kayleigh. She had betrayed Rose and her unborn children. She was still not looking at the Doctor being tortured. _I have put Rose in danger... how could I do that to her? She's my best friend!! It felt like a good idea at the time... but what if he just goes and kidnaps Rose now without threatening her to John first? I could be responsible for her death... But how could I betray her in the first place... _

Kayleigh sagged against the wall, turning around to look through the window of the torture chamber. The Doctor was now, mercifully, unconscious.

_But I know John too... he won't let Rose be hurt either... he will give in, especially since he knows she is carrying his children. I could be condemning the British public to death too if John carries out his tasks... _She swallowed a lump that was forming in her throat. _I really did not think this through... I have to trust in Torchwood working out where we are before it comes to that... I'm sure of it... I just have to hope I've made the right decision in the end..._

* * *

The Doctor had eventually been taken back to his cell. He had been dumped on the floor. Blood had stained the floor of his cell. When Kayleigh opened the door to his small prison, she had in her hand, a blanket. The Doctor was curled up into a ball, shaking. He was getting a fever, she knew that. She knelt down beside him and gently laid a hand on his head.

"John," she whispered, "it's me."

"Kayleigh," he coughed, opening his eyes.

"Shh, don't try to speak." She lifted up the blanket so that he could see it. "I've bought this for you." She placed it on top of him, making sure it covered his entire body. She also had bought with her a bottle of water. He was dehydrated and malnourished but she hadn't dared to risk taking some food from the kitchen as well as water. Unscrewing the top, she placed it against his lips and tipped the bottle back so that the liquid flowed slowly, but steadily into his mouth. "I can't tell you where we are, I don't even know myself... but rest assured help is coming." She didn't know that for sure, she didn't even know whether her text would be taken as fact, but she hoped it would. "I am helping you, John, at great personal risk to myself. Stay strong, someone will save you soon."

She was unsure if he heard or understood her as unconscious took him. She had to believe that Torchwood was taking action. She hoped they would be able to trace where they were, otherwise John had no hope. None, what-so-ever.

* * *

**A/N: **And now its reddwarfaddicts turn to batter the Doctor.... we sure do like hurting him don't we? *grin*


	17. The Call

**reddwarfaddict's A/N:** First of all thanks all for being so patient, this was my chapter and even though the-writter1988 will try to tell you it's her fault it's not, it's mine for being a bad writer! We had a plan, carefully constructed by loving hands, and my writing brain refused to follow it D: It just wouldn't work. Tragically it took MONTHS to work it out, but then she just fixed it all with her magic wand and then I wrote it in two hours. Funny, huh? :P So here's the next chapter, my chapter, and hopefully many more quick updates to follow :D

**the-writer1988's A/N:** Don't blame reddwarfaddict for this delay, it was all me for not thinking the plot through carefully! This chapter was not written by me though...

* * *

Chapter 17 – The Call

Kayleigh left the cell, making sure all the bolts were done up exactly how they had been left, glancing around the hall to check no one was around. She quickly got out her phone, and dialled for Rose.

Within two rings the call was picked up.

"_Kay?" _came Rose's voice.

Kayleigh almost burst into tears at the sound of Rose's voice. "Rose..."

"_Oh, Kay..." _Rose whispered down the line, and Kayleigh could hear she was about to burst into tears too. _"I don't know what to say..."_

"I'm so sorry, Rose," Kayleigh whispered, breaking down into sobs. "I didn't... I didn't know..."

There was a lengthy pause as Rose burst into tears down the line, the two young women sobbing silently down the line to each other.

"_How... is he?"_ Rose asked quietly, apprehensively.

Kayleigh let go another sob. "They tortured him, Rose... Because he refused to do what they've told him to do..."

The reply was quiet, but full of underlying anger. _"This is all your fault."_

"I know," Kayleigh replied, forcing herself to swallow her sobs. "So... I'm trying to make this right. I can help you find John..."

"_We just need to know where you are..."_

"I don't know for sure," she whispered, glancing around the hall again. No one was around. "I'm on an island, near Italy. The man who owns the island is Daryl Ferguson's uncle, his name is Garav Shweninghar. If you can find the island, I can take you to where the Doctor's being held."

"_The Doctor?" _Rose repeated, confused. _"How do you..."_

"He told me, Rose. He told me everything."

"_You believed him?"_

Kayleigh sobbed again. "I don't think he's capable of lying at the moment."

Rose sniffed down the line. _"Thank you, Kay. But you know I can never forgive you..."_

"I know," Kayleigh interrupted. "I've been an idiot."

"_They'll execute you, Kay. Even if you do help us. You betrayed the crown..."_

"I know," Kayleigh said again, wiping her teary eyes with the back of her hand. "Please, just help John."

"_Two of our agents are in Italy," _Rose said, _"I'll give you Gary's number."_

Kayleigh nodded, even though she knew full well Rose couldn't see her. "Thank you for trusting me, Rose."

"_I don't," _Rose replied simply, but Kayleigh could still hear her attempting to stifle her sobs. _"Can I... Can I talk to him?"_

Kayleigh bit her lip, glancing around the hall again. "... Okay. Hold on."

She moved quietly but quickly back to the cell door, pocketing the phone as she slowly opened back up the bolts and pulled open the heavy door. Light streamed in from the hallway into the small cell where the Doctor was still lying on the floor, covered with the blanket she had given him but ten minutes ago.

"John? John, wake up," she whispered, kneeling down next to him, gently shaking his shoulder so as not to disturb his multitudes of injuries. "Doctor?"

He groaned slightly, blinking to look up at her. She held up the phone so he could see the screen.

"It's Rose," Kayleigh said simply, holding the phone to his ear. He blinked in surprise, almost stumbling over his next choice of word.

"Rose?" he croaked. He heard the sound of a woman breaking down completely into sobs on the other end of the line.

"_Oh God, Doctor..." _Rose's voice said, gasping through tears.

"Rose..."he said again, this time more alert. "Is that really you?"

"_Yeah it's me," _she whispered, still crying. _"God I miss you so much."_

The Doctor was on the verge of crying himself, now. "I can't believe it's you..."

"_We'll find you, okay? We'll get you out. We're so close now..."_

The Doctor sniffed, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Couldn't hurry up, could you?"

Rose laughed on the other end through her grief. _"I love you."_

"I love you too," he whispered. "Are... Are you really pregnant?"

"_Yeah..."_

"It's okay?" he asked, almost dreading the reply. "I... I had a dream..."

"_It's twins," _Rose replied. _"They're fine, they're healthy. It's two girls."_

The Doctor sniffed again, a small smile spreading onto his face. Kayleigh hadn't seen him smile since that night back in Torchwood... It felt so impossibly long ago now. "And they are _mine, _right?" he asked, laughing quietly.

"_Don't joke about that," _Rose replied, laughing again through her tears. _"You know they are." _There was another pause as she sniffed back yet more tears. _"Do... Do you trust Kayleigh?"_

He glanced up at the woman in question still holding the phone to his ear. She couldn't hear Rose's voice on the line. "Yes, I do."

"_Then I do too," _Rose said strongly. _"We'll save you soon."_

"Close your eyes," the Doctor said, "count to ten. I'll be right there with you."

"_I might do that," _Rose said, laughing again.

"I'll be okay, I'll see you again," he said quietly, feeling the tears build again. "I promise. We've still got to pick some names."

Suddenly the floor above the cell creaked periodically – someone was above them, heading towards the stairs...

"Shit," Kayleigh breathed, her heart suddenly thumping in her chest. "I've gotta go."

The Doctor nodded. "Rose, we have to go. I love you, see you in a bit."

"_Counting to ten," _she replied.

The Doctor nodded to Kayleigh who took the phone away from his ear, quickly hanging up and pocketing it before she ran to the door, quickly closing it and sliding the bolts in place. Panicking rising through her she ran to the other side of the hall, diving in through the opposite door and shutting it quietly. Soon enough came the resounding footsteps of the guard on patrol, progressing down the hallway to check on their prisoner. He stopped outside the Doctor's cell door. After a moment's silence the guard began to walk again, back up the hallway to the stairs. Kayleigh waited a few more minutes, making sure the guard had truly gone before she pulled open the door and followed his path back up to the main house.

Ten minutes later she returned holding some buttered bread, stolen from the empty Kitchens. She slipped in through the Doctor's door.

"Doctor?" she asked, and the Doctor opened his eyes. He was smiling, but quite still obviously in a great deal of pain. She knelt down next to him, tearing off a piece of bread and holding it to his mouth. He bit into it, chewing slowly and weakly. After he swallowed he looked straight into Kayleigh's eyes, still smiling.

"Thank you," he said, and it wasn't just for the food.

"I'm working with Rose and Gary to get you out," she said quietly, feeding him another bit of torn bread. "But... Garav... He's going to threaten to hurt Rose and your babies, to make you co-operate..."

The Doctor stiffened. "No..." he whispered, swallowing the last of the bread.

"This is all my fault," Kayleigh muttered. "I'm so sorry, I did this. All of this."

The Doctor didn't reply to this. "Get back to Number Three. They can't know you've gone."

She nodded, straightening up and disappearing out the door. For a while the Doctor laid in silence, staring at the far wall, deep in thought.

He couldn't keep resisting them like this. Torchwood were on their way. Maybe he should play good captive for a while – he could stall, mess around in making this poison until Torchwood arrived.

Resisting just wasn't worth the risk.

He couldn't let them _touch_ Rose.

* * *

The next morning the Doctor awoke sharply to two guards slapping his face, hard. Once they were sure he was awake they grabbed his arms and bodily hauled him out of his cell door, up the stairs and to the familiar grand room where he knew Garav resided.

It was no surprises, the usual routine of dragging him across the floor, pushing him onto his knees with several guns trained on his head and heart. Garav entered but seconds later, waltzing over to his seat and perching himself on it, legs crossed and arms on the rests, tapping his fingers on the wood expectantly. He had a small smile on his face as he stared down at the Doctor, for a moment saying absolutely nothing.

He leant forward, that inane smile still in place as he spoke two words, quiet, yet poignant.

"Rose Tyler."

He drew back, studying the Doctor again, as if waiting for a reaction. He seemed disappointed not to get one as the Doctor stared at the floor, trying to convince himself that he was making the right decision.

"Did you hear what I said?!" Garav suddenly yelled angrily.

The Doctor jolted in shock, looking up at the man sitting above him. "Yes," he replied simply.

"She's so precious to you, isn't she, John?" The Doctor didn't reply. _"Isn't she?!" _Garav yelled again.

"Yes," the Doctor said again, eyes snapping back to the floor.

"Look at me!" Garav demanded, jumping up out of his seat and striding over to the Doctor, kicking him in the side. The Doctor cried out as the pain of his injuries spiked through his body. Garav took hold of his hair, wrenching his head up to look him in the eyes. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yes," the Doctor said for the third time, not wanting to agitate the other man any further.

"She has beautiful eyes. Do you agree?"

"Yes."

"I think I'd start with them." He reached into his jacket, pulling out a very sharp looking knife and holding the point to the Doctor's left eye. The Doctor shuddered in his grip. Garav seemed pleased with that. "Then, I would work my way down." He moved the knife point down from the Doctor's eye to his mouth, pressing the blade to his lips. "Cut off her tongue. Woman shouldn't talk. A woman should learn in full quietness and submission, Timothy, 2:11. Don't you agree, John?"

The Doctor couldn't help himself. "No, I don't."

Garav snarled, twisting the knife and cutting the Doctor's lips.

"You don't need your tongue to do what I want, John. Having your tongue is a privilege."

The Doctor kept staring at him, blood dribbling down from his lips now, onto Garav's knife. Garav smiled, drawing the knife away.

"And so I'd continue down Rose Tyler's body," Garav continued, moving the knife slowly down the Doctor's neck to his chest. He stopped there for a moment, giving the Doctor a brief smile before moving the knife next to press against the base of the Doctor's fingers, stopping and smiling. Next it moved downwards towards his groin. He stopped, smiled again, and then continued down to the Doctor's feet, his knife pressing against his bare toes. He moved the knife back up to the Doctor's stomach – Rose's womb – and pressed it against his skin. Finally, he moved the knife up to his chest, the point of the blade resting on where his heart beat in his chest.

He paused, looking at the Doctor with that persistant, evil smile. "That was the fate of Rose Tyler. But of course," he suddenly said, flipping the knife casually around in his grip. "She is beautiful. I'd hate to waste that. So before any of that happens, I would make full use of that."

The Doctor was seething, trembly wildly. "You're insane."

"You can stop this happening to her, if you only co-operate," Garav said, seemingly ignoring his comment.

"You'll never reach her," the Doctor said quickly. "Torchwood are protecting her."

"Come, come, John. You know my power. I will get her, you already know that."

There was a long, silent pause. But the Doctor had already made his decision.

"I'll do it," he said, licking the blood on his lips. "Please, just... don't hurt her or my babies."

"Thank you, John," Garav said, broadening his smile as he took a white cloth held out by his guard, wiping his knife free of the Doctor's blood before slipping it back inside his jacket. "Get some rest. You'll need it."


	18. Learning To Trust

**A/N: **the-writer1988 can't think of anything to put here, so I, reddwarfaddict, will save the day!

There's a word, faithful readers, an old Earth saying for just this occasion. A phrase of great power and wisdom. A consolation to the soul, in times of need.

ALLONS-Y!

* * *

Chapter 18 – Learning To Trust

Kayleigh slipped through the net of security that surrounded the island. It had been a difficult task to slip out unnoticed but she had managed it. Daryl thought she had gone out for some fresh air in the gardens, but really she had snuck out to make a phone call – one that was highly dangerous and if overheard could end up being the last thing she ever did. Yes, she had risked calling Rose in the dungeon hallway, but the only place she was really guaranteed any privacy was the little stretch of beach. She opened her mobile phone and dialled Gary's number that Rose had text to her after their chat.

"Kayleigh, I never thought you would risk this call," came Gary's voice at the other end.

"Rose gave me your number," she replied. "She told you that I want to help, right?"

"She did. I don't know where you are, all I know is that John is somewhere here on an island just off the coast, right?"

"Yeah."

"Are you willing to help us?" He had to be sure that this wasn't a ploy.

"I am," she said without any hesitation. "What they are doing to John... what they are forcing him to do is just horrible..." She felt tears welling in her eyes.

"What do they want him for?" asked Gary, gently, his voice soothing.

Kayleigh took a deep breath and explained everything. When she was done, Gary sighed. "We figured it was something like that... But to poison millions of people? Insane... utterly insane... And so far John hasn't given in?"

"He has," said Kayleigh. "They threatened to kill Rose and her unborn children... He couldn't risk harming them, but, there is something you must know. It was my idea to use that against him. Please listen to me before you condemn me. I knew you would find us, you're too smart not to see the connections. Now that you are here and have confirmed my belief in Torchwood, you can get him out and save him and the country from this devastating plan of Garav's."

"You can't give us anymore specific directions to where you are?"

"Sort of...there is a small island just off the coast... the beach to it is private land, should be easy to find through records, but Garav might have encoded it... not many people know it is inhabited. I'm on the beach, hidden from view from the main residence at the moment. But you can't take the direct route here – they will see you coming before you even get halfway here."

"Then how can we expect to rescue John?"

"I think there is another way in, but I haven't found it yet. I need more time... you've just got to trust me," she pleaded.

"You seem repentant enough... maybe I can risk it," said Gary. "Alright, Kays, you've got one chance."

"Thank you," was all she could say.

* * *

The Doctor was retrieved from his cell the following morning. His wounds had been bandaged but he was still in great pain. He had not been given any medical help. They wanted to keep him weak, just in case he recovered enough strength to fight back against his captors. He was led to lab where on a table were spread all sort of metals, liquids and chemical charts that he could use in his endeavour to create this gas. Just by looking at the materials around him, the Doctor knew that he would be able to create it with ease, but he wasn't going to give up that easily.

He picked up the first chemical, it wasn't labelled, but it was a red bubbling liquid. He had an idea as to what it was though. He frowned, wondering if he would be able to stall. He turned to look back at the guards in the lab, standing guard, but that was a mistake on his part.

Quick as a flash a whip was brought forward striking him on his bare back. He flinched, making little noise, but agony wracked through his body.

"No stalling!" barked the guard. "Work!"

The Doctor swallowed. "All right!" he replied. "There was no need for the physical harm you know!"

His defiance only earned him another strike on his back. He could feel blood trickling down his back, but he ignored the pain and set his mind to that task at hand. He had to make it look convincing he was working.

* * *

Gary had taken the decision to leave Jet out in Italy, to retain contact with Kayleigh if she phoned again. He had given the newbie his phone and taken Jet's so he could communicate with Torchwood that he was flying home as soon as possible. He was sure that Kayleigh deeply regretted what she had done, but he realised that Pete wouldn't forgive her easily, especially as her treachery automatically meant the death penalty.

When he arrived back in Britain he didn't even bother going back to his flat, instead he went straight to Pete's offices. He didn't even bother to knock, just barged in. It wasn't something he would normally do but he had to catch him off guard. He knew he would suffer repercussions, but he was ready for that.

"We need to trust Kayleigh," he said, slamming his hands down on the desk. "I know you can't bring yourself to trust her but she made contact with us. In fact, Rose might not have told you, but Kayleigh phoned her first and let her speak to John. She even told us her location as best as she could. We also now know why they took him in the first place." He explained to Pete what he had been told. "He's given in because of the threat to Rose and her unborn children."

"How would he even know she is pregnant? We only found out after Rose had been wounded during his kidnapping," said Pete, still sounding highly suspicious.

"Kayleigh. She knew. Remember, she hung around Torchwood before we made the connection she was the traitor. Rose being pregnant would have reached her. She told his captors and now they are threatening him with Rose. We have to trust her... if she can get us onto the island, we stand a chance of ending this once and for all. It's been nearly five months since he was taken. We can't afford to lose this chance."

"And you _really_ trust her?" Pete raised his eyebrows.

Gary nodded, puffing his chest out. "I do."

"Well, I don't," confirmed Pete, shattering Gary's hopes that his boss would accept her offered help. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

* * *

YOU HAVE ONE MESSAGE FROM GARY

Rose picked up her phone, noticing that her colleague had left a message on her phone. Obviously when he had rung her, she had not been in the vicinity of her phone. She cursed and pressed 9 plus the hash key that would take her to the service where her phone messages were stored and kept.

Gary's voice came over the phone. "Rose, you have to talk to your father. We know where John is...but he won't trust Kayleigh. We can't do anything without his permission... He has to be convinced that she can help us... You are John's only hope... Without Kayleigh, we won't get him back..."


	19. Meeting The Traitor

**A/N: **I've got to heat it up! Doctor got to heat up! I've got till 3 o'clock! I've got to rock until you drop! (Something Kinda Oooh - Girls Aloud)

REAL LYRICS! :o

* * *

Chapter 19 – Meeting The Traitor

The Doctor continued to stall as best he could, taking the long routes to making the substances and deliberately measuring the wrong amounts so it would look like a failed try. But everytime he did a failed try the guards would punish him physically for it, and after hours of the same routine he was truly on his last legs.

As a Time Lord he had rarely worried about trivial human things like infection, but now his back was searing with pain, and he knew if it wasn't treated quickly he could die. He didn't dare voice this to Garav or his guards, already knowing the punishment for his weakness.

He lost track of the numbers of hours that passed, along with the amount of times he'd been punished. He felt hot and feverish, tired; lethargic – the sure signs of infection. But he had to keep going. He couldn't let them hurt Rose.

With a loud fizz the Doctor dropped in the last of the red bubbly liquid into the glass beaker using a pipette. The liquid inside bubbled over the top of the beaker and ran down the sides. It was just for show. He could drink that liquid and nothing would happen to him. The Doctor risked a glance to the guards standing by the door. They noticed.

As the next round of punishment stopped, Garav walked in through the double doors and strided over to the Doctor lying wincing on the floor, standing over him.

"Are you wasting my time, John?" he asked seriously. The Doctor gritted his teeth, his eyes closed as he tried to pick himself up off of the floor but fell back down helplessly, feeling blood coursing down his back. For a few moments he just breathed, trying to ride the wave of pain before he was suddenly interrupted by a foot planting in his stomach.

"Get up!" Garav hissed as the Doctor coughed, curling in on himself on the hard, cold floor.

"I... can't..." the Doctor gasped, eyes still closed with his face pressed into the floor.

Garav grabbed the Doctor around the neck and hauled him up, their faces within inches. "I think it's in you best interest to _can," _Garav grated, spittle flying in the Doctor's face.

"I... CAN'T," the Doctor tried to yell despite Garav's hand still clamped around his throat. "I can't do... what you want if you... keep punishing me! It's physically... impossible!"

For a moment, there was utter silence between captive and captor as Garav stared, unrelentingly into the Doctor's eyes. He suddenly threw the Doctor roughly to the ground by his neck before swiftly turning on his heel and marching angrily back out of the door, leaving the Doctor gasping on the floor.

* * *

"Dad!"

Rose Tyler burst into her parallel father's office, a woman on the warpath. She marched straight up to his desk, slamming her hands on the desk just as Gary had done before, making Pete's pen pot jump in the air. "We need to talk."

Pete sighed, hand on his head and he tried in vain to carry on writing. "If this is about Kayleigh..."

"We _have _to trust her!" Rose said angrily, slamming her fist again so this time his pen jumped out of his hand. "I know you don't, but..."

"There is not a reason in the world that can make me trust her," Pete said firmly in reply, picking up his pen again. "And I don't see why you would have one either!"

"Dad..."

"She betrayed us, Rose. She betrayed Torchwood, she betrayed the country, she betrayed the entire English population, but most of all, she betrayed John. She _cannot _be trusted."

"Dad!"

"He's been gone for a very long time, Rose. You were supposed to have your wedding in a few days. I understand your desperation, but I just can't consider it. She is luring us into a trap. There is absolutely no doubt about-"

"Just listen, will you!" Rose yelled suddenly, anger coursing through her veins. Pete stopped abruptly, looking up at his pregnant daughter with a nuance of fear. "She phoned me. She cried. I cried. She... she let me speak to him. He... He needs us, Dad. He needs us to get to him. He's so scared."

Pete sighed, looking back down at his desk. "I wish I could, Rose, but..."

"He trusts her," Rose continued, unwaveringly. "I didn't trust her till then. But he does. And I think he's the one with the most reason not to trust her out of all of us. So if he can, why can't you?"

There was a long pause as Pete considered everything Rose had told him.

"Please," Rose whispered. Pete looked up again to find his daughter staring at him pleadingly, her hand unconsciously resting on her swollen belly.

He sighed again. "Ok," he said. "But if this goes wrong, I'm not taking the blame."

Rose spread a smile. "Thank you," she said, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek before turning and running out of the door.

Once out she frantically searched for her phone in her pocket, bringing it out and selecting 'new message'.

**Carlo's Ristorante**

**Tomorrow**

**2pm**

**Send to: Kay**

She hit send.

* * *

Gary entered Carlo's Ristorante at precisely 2pm the next day. He scanned the room for Kayleigh and found a young woman sitting at a table in the corner of the restaurant, a sun hat lowered over her eyes.

He moved quietly and quickly over to her, glancing around for any potential enemies before slipping into the chair opposite her.

She looked up, and Gary was taken aback. Her eyes were red, her cheeks tear-stained as she stared at him like he was her saviour.

"Hello, Kayleigh," he said simply.

"Gary," she whispered, looking back down at the table again.

"Are we being watched?"

"No."

"Do they suspect anything?"

"No," she said again, wiping her eyes free from tears. "Daryl thinks I'm clothes shopping."

Gary nodded. "And Number One? Garav? Does he trust you?"

"I'm not sure," Kayleigh said. "He... I'm no one to him."

Gary frowned, knowing there was something more. "What did he do to you?"

Kayleigh was quite obviously about to burst into tears again. "Daryl... he wasn't supposed to hurt John so Garav punished him by... raping me."

"I'm so sorry," Gary said gently, hand moving forward to rest on her's. She looked grateful.

"How is John?" he asked after she'd managed to compose herself.

"Not well. He's stalling making what they want. Everytime he stops working or looks like he's wasting time they hurt him. His wounds are infected... I think he could die." She sniffed back yet more tears. "I take him food and water when I can but he... he can barely talk anymore."

Gary looked grave. "Tell him we're coming, please."

"I am. Every day. I just don't know if he's stop believing me..."

"Just keep telling him," Gary said, forcing a smile. "And tell him after all this I'll buy him a drink."

She smiled. "I will."

"Did you find a way in?" was Gary's next question, and she nodded.

"There's a secret way into the base, as a sort of backup incase Garav needs to escape to the mainland. It's a tunnel underneath the seabed, but it's really old, it could collapse at any minute."

"Anything is better than nothing," Gary said simply. "Where's the entrance?"

"I don't know much, I heard Daryl mention it. I think it's in an abandoned house, near the edge of the mainland."

Gary nodded, already whipping out his phone to contact Rose. "Thank you, Kayleigh."

"Please save him," she said.

"We will," Gary said firmly, getting up out of his seat. "Good luck."

"You too," she said, and then Gary was gone.

* * *

Shortly after that, Pete was already receiving the vital information that would lead them to John from a very eager Rose. Even though the Head of Torchwood still had his doubts, he had to admit the situation was looking increasingly more and more promising. There was a very good chance he would be able to get his Head Scientific Advisor back very soon. The entire network of Torchwood had been in complete chaos for the past five months John had not been there – Pete was still trying to work out how the absence of one Scientist could send his otherwise immaculately constructed Torchwood into utter chaos.

But now they were ready.

* * *

**A/N: **Breathe a sigh of relief as I place the Doctor lovingly into the caring, tender, loving hands of the-writer1988...


	20. Daryl Shweninghar

**A/N: **Yes, I am pure evil. This is now a fact by me writing this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 20 - Daryl Shweninghar

The Doctor was exhausted. He looked at the various chemicals arrayed in front of him, two of them were of his own creations. He knew he had to make some progress soon otherwise Garav's threat on Rose would become a reality. He couldn't do that to her or to his unborn children. He sighed, running a weary hand over his eyes, conscious of the guards watching his every move. They were just waiting for another excuse to hit him, although Garav had given explicit instructions to be lenient with him, especially considering his weakening condition.

His legs shook violently and if he hadn't grabbed hold of the table he would have collapsed.

Gritting his teeth, he lifted up a green chemical filled bottle and poured a small bit into a glass beaker. Then, he added a red bubbling one, followed by an orange one, when uncorked smelled like a rotting corpse. His stomach shifted violently, but he calmed himself by taking deep breaths and he poured it in. Taking a spoon, he stirred the three liquids together, before heating a Bunsen burner and placed the beaker on top of the heat. Smoke began to blossom from the top of the beaker and he gently stirred it as it bubbled away. He had not been given any protective gloves and carefully picked the beaker up, placing it gently on a cloth spread across the work-top, however two of his fingers were burned from touching the now burning beaker.

Squaring his shoulders, the Doctor turned towards the guards. They advanced forward immediately. "It's done. Tell Garav, it's ready."

The guards exchanged a glance with one another. A silent communication passed between them. While one marched from the room, the other ordered the Doctor to sit on the floor.

Five minutes passed before the guard returned with his captor in tow. Garav strolled immediately over to the bubbling liquid and he peered closely at it, while the Doctor kept his head down, staring at the floor. What he had made would harm someone, fulfilling one of Garav's required categories but would not be contagious.

"Well done, John. So you can do something right when threatened with the right leverage," crowed Garav. "Come. We must test this out before it is distributed."

The Doctor's eyes widened as Garav turned, marching from the room, the beaker wrapped up in cloth in his hands. _Oh no... _

He hadn't counted on Garav testing it out. _Rose is going to die... _

* * *

In the centre of a room stood a little girl, trapped in a glass box. Oxygen was being fed to her through a tube that had been inserted into the glass cage. She was an orphan from the village. Garav had said there was no one to miss her and that her sacrifice for the greater good would be worth-while. The Doctor was kneeling outside the glass cage, his hands wrenched tightly behind his back, held there by one of his guards.

They were going to test his creation on an innocent child. He felt ill to the stomach. He knew what would happen. The liquid that he had created had now turned into a smoky gas after two hours of its mixture, would kill the child. He had already seen another child waiting in the corridor outside the glass chamber, from which a door had been built into the wall, where it was propped up against. Once the gas had been fed into the glass chamber, the child would suffocate, the gas disappearing quickly. The other child would then be pushed into the chamber. Garav was expecting that orphaned boy to die too, to prove that it was a toxic gas and could be contagious. One child would die, the other would not.

"What did you promise them?" growled the Doctor as Garav turned to face him. "Why would they come with you?"

"I promised them freedom."

"And killing innocent children is fulfilling that promise?"

"Yes."

"You're insane," whispered the Doctor, but not loud enough for his captor to hear. He could see the young girl's eyes filled with fear. She was scared and worried. He felt tears in his eyes. _Please don't let her suffer... _

Something shimmered in the glass cage. The girl whirled around, backing towards one side of the wall. The gas was being fed into the cage. The effect was instantaneous. The girl started to choke, blood poured from her nose.

"STOP IT!" yelled the Doctor, trying to pull away from the guard that held his arms. "PLEASE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

Garav ignored him, watching intently.

The girl sunk to the floor, facing them, her body twitching.

"Has the gas gone fully into her system?" asked Garav.

A voice over a speaker replied instantly. "Yes. The glass cage is safe. Full of oxygen. No remaining gas particles remain in the air."

"Good," said Garav softly, his eyes sparkling. "And now John, the ultimate test. Send the boy in."

The Doctor swallowed, already knowing the results.

The cage was opened from the hallway and the boy shoved in. He had shoulder-length black hair, and his nose was up-turned. He was thin. Too thin for a child of his age. He fell to his knees, and seeing the girl trembling on the floor, crawled towards her. He touched her face. The boy knew the girl.

Anger poured into the Doctor's heart. With an ounce of strength he didn't know he still had left, he pulled free from the guard and launched himself towards Garav, swinging his fist and hitting the mad man on his nose, breaking it. Blood spurted over the Doctor's hands. He raised his leg to kick at him, but a whack across the back of his head stalled him and he collapsed onto his knees.

"Ow..."

Garav had fallen to the floor with the force of the Doctor's punch. With the help of a second guard, he got to his feet. The Doctor was being held down by two other guards. He spat at Garav's feet as he approached. He was pleased to see that blood was still pouring from the other's nose.

"I asked for a gas that would be slow-killing... she died within minutes and the boy remains alive. You have failed me John." Garav's eyes were dark and menacing.

"Do your worst," coughed the Doctor, as the guards pushed down on him even more.

"Take him to the chamber."

* * *

Pete had dispatched another three Torchwood agents to help with Gary and Jet in finding the abandoned house that Kayleigh had spoken of, supposedly hiding an entrance to a hidden tunnel. The only information they had to go on was that it was near the beach, but there were plenty of beach houses along the coast they could choose from.

Jet had already approached estate agents asking if they could have details of those along the coast but the agency had refused, stating that no one with any authorisation could see the records. As they didn't want to alert the Doctor's captors that they were close to them they couldn't use their official IDs. They didn't know who could be working for them. Everyone was a suspect.

All five agents had split up and had taken posts along the beach, watching the twenty-five beach-houses that were situated along the island.

Gary sat back on the bench, his eyes focused on the island ahead. Over there, John was being held prisoner. They had to find this entrance, but sitting outside in the sun all day wasn't going to help. One of these houses had to belong to Daryl Ferguson. If only they could get the records...

Then an idea struck and he pulled out his mobile phone, speed-dialling to Pete Tyler. He answered on the first ring.

"What is it?" Pete sounded tired.

"We can't get hold of the records without giving ourselves away. Anyway can you get someone to hack into the agency's system? See if they can dig anything up?"

"I can. I'll get someone right on it. I'll get Rose to call you when we have answers."

The call ended abruptly.

Standing up, Gary began to walk towards the nearest house. It appeared empty, but he knew it was occupied by a young woman and a much older man. They had left an hour ago and had yet to return. He glanced over his shoulder. No one was round. Crossing the green lawn, Gary peered into the window. Homely. Tidy. He didn't think these people had anything to do with Daryl Ferguson or Garav Shweninghar. He sighed and moved onto the next beach house.

* * *

Two hours later his phone rang.

"Rose?"

"Gary," she replied.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Please tell me it is good news."

"It is."

"Good," he said softly.

"I've already told Dad this. But we know what beach house it is. You will not believe it. The house is owned by Daryl Shweninghar, as in Daryl Ferguson. He's taken his Uncle's name over here."

"And what house is the entrance located in?"

"Number twelve."

Gary's mouth fell open in surprise. "I was looking through that house's windows earlier. It was the first one I tried. It looked normal. Not abandoned. Two people live there, Rose. Kayleigh said it was abandoned."

"I know – a Morgan and Rachel Doer currently rent the house out - but Kayleigh wasn't sure if it was abandoned or not. I don't think the occupants know who they are really paying rent too. They're innocent in all this. And it's the closest to the beach, yeah?"

"It is... on a slight hill, but leads directly onto the beach."

"There you go," said Rose. "There's your entrance. You're going to have to think of a way to keep Morgan and Rachel out of the way. I'll text Kayleigh in a minute and tell her I need a word. Dad will be flying more operatives over to you for an attack tomorrow night."

"Okay. I'll get the others together and start on a plan."

"Oh, and one other thing. Dad will be coming over too. Much as I want to, I can't. Being pregnant sucks," laughed Rose.

"We'll get him back, Rose. Promise," said Gary.

* * *

Rose laid on her bed, feet propped up, and a hot water bottle resting behind her. Her back was aching now. The twins were regularly kicking. And she had blossomed out. She laid a hand on her stomach. "You're father will be here soon." As if in response to what she said, she felt a sharp kick from one of the babies. "You are really like your father," she smiled, "unable to stop moving."

_Ring-ring-ring. _

Rose picked up her phone, and answered. "Hi Kays."

"You text me earlier. I can't stay long," came Kayleigh's whispered voice. "I told Daryl I needed a loo break. He'll come and find me if I'm gone too long."

"Okay. Listen. We've found the entrance in one of the beach houses. We're launching an offensive tomorrow night. Do you know where the entrance comes out on the island?"

"Yeah, in the dungeons of the main house. It was right in front of me all along. I'll make sure it is unlocked for you."

"Thank you, Kays. If you survive this, I'll try to get the death penalty lifted. You did wrong, but you're helping us now. I can't promise, but I'll try," replied Rose, softly.

Kayleigh wasn't quick to answer. "I don't deserve clemency."

"Yes, you do," whispered Rose.

"Shit, Rose. Sorry. I hear footsteps. Daryl's coming to find me. I've been too long. Good luck." The phone clicked off.

"Good luck, Kays," said Rose to herself.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, maybe I'm not pure evil... Garav probably is though O.o


	21. Gogo!

**A/N: **We are actually vaguely near the end now! Hmm..

* * *

Chapter 21 – Gogo!

The Doctor could barely cling onto consciousness as his time in the Chamber reached a merciful end. It was to his great relief he was finally unchained, pulled upright and dragged out of the small, cold room.

It had been the worst part of his parallel life so far.

His life as the Doctor, he had been tortured a countless number of times before, by the Gallifreyans, by humans, but he couldn't remember it ever being as bad as this. Human torture had never even scratched his mental surface. But this was in a whole new league of its own.

They made him walk despite the fact his leg was broken, shoving him back in the general direction of the lab. His head ached, his arms felt like they were burning and he was pretty sure he'd either bruised or broken some ribs.

He was vaguely aware of being shoved in front of the familiar metal table once more, the various substances spread out across the desk exactly where he'd left them. But he could barely see, barely breathe, barely think. It was taking every ounce of his energy just to stand upright. He felt someone step up behind his shoulder. Garav. He shuddered involuntarily.

"John, do not waste my time again. Or Rose Tyler _will _pay."

He laughed boisterously to himself, slapping a hand down on the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor bit his tongue to stop himself from crying out in pain, almost chopping it in two. He heard Garav move away from behind him, and out of the door still flanked by guards – his torturers.

They really wouldn't mind doing it again.

Thoughts of Rose entered his head, of her beautiful face, her beautiful smile. If he didn't do this, her fate would be nothing better than rape, mutilation, the death of his children shortly followed by her own, slow, painful death. And Garav would make him watch every second of it, there was absolutely no doubt about that.

Even _thinking_ about it made him want to die.

The Doctor, the real Doctor still back in the parallel world had given him Rose to love and look after, to be happy with, to learn from. And he wasn't going to waste that.

He forced his eyes open, forced them to focus on the materials in front of him. With weak, heavy arms he reached up to the nearest bottle and grasped it in two shaky hands, and lifted. Pain coursed through both of his arms instantly, the pain almost making him pass out on the spot.

He gritted his teeth, and began to make the gas Garav wanted.

* * *

The Torchwood operatives waited patiently through the rest of the day, waiting for Kayleigh's signal whilst simultaneously waiting for the residents of the beach house to leave before they made their move. It seemed like they were never going to get their wish – until at 9pm on the dot the residents exited the house, got in the car and left. Five minutes later Kayleigh's text came through, the message clear:

**GOGO!**

"Okay, let's move," Gary muttered into his earpiece to the other hidden Torchwood operatives, shuffling out of the bushes and straight to the Doer's front door. He drew a small, thin metal device from his pocket and buzzed the front door lock with a bright blue light in one swift movement – it clicked open and the door swung in.

Gary looked at the device in his hand, smiling. A Sonic Screwdriver, John had called it as he'd given it to Gary, as though passing on his heritage.

"Thanks, John," Gary muttered, slipping the device back into his pocket. The door creaked ominously as Gary pushed it open, and flicked on the Hall light. The other four Torchwood operatives filed in behind him, looking critically around at their new environment.

"No messing about," Gary said sternly, turning to look at them all. "This tunnel could be anywhere, be under, over or behind anything. We move quickly and quietly. Every minute we lose is a minute lost of John's life. Go."

* * *

Luckily their find came sooner rather than later. Around ten minutes into their searching Jet signalled out on his earpiece, and moment later they had run to his location.

He was standing in the middle of the sitting room, the carpet piled up at the side to reveal a large round piece old wood set in the centre of the floor – looking suspiciously like a door to some kind of secret underground tunnel.

"Bingo," Jet whispered, grinning. He was already moving to shift it, and with a little help from another operative the piece of wood had been shifted aside to reveal a large, dark, gaping hole in the earth, headed at a rather steep angle downwards.

Gary got down onto one knee, bringing out his torch and shining it down into the hole. "I can see the ground," he commented, squinting his eyes in an attempt to see more clearly. "It's safe to jump."

"Let's go, then!" Jet said eagerly, already making to jump… But Gary held up a hand.

"No, Jet, stay here. You have to make sure the Goer's house is left in the exact way they left it."

"Aw, man!" Jet began in protest, but Gary was deftly ignoring him.

"They can't know we've been here, or we'd be jeopardising their lives too. As soon as we are gone, tidy everything up and leave, with no tracks. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Jet muttered, heaving a sigh.

"Oi," Gary suddenly said steely, looking up at Jet with his jaw set. "You've got me to thank that Mr Tyler ever let you out on this field mission to begin with. I'm writing your evaluation. So you'd better improve your attitude."

Jet fell silent, looking to the floor – or rather, the gaping hole now _in _the floor.

"Good. Now, there's an innocent man dying on the other end of this tunnel, guys. Let's move."

He jumped down into the hole, landing with a forward roll and shining his torch down the tunnel – but there was nothing but darkness. He heard three more people land behind him before the light streaming down from the entrance was completely blocked as Jet replaced the wooden door.

Gary sighed, smiling back at his fellow experienced field agents.

"Reminds me of myself at that age," he said and they all laughed in reply, nodding in agreement before they put on their oxygen masks and began to advance down the tunnel on hands and knees, searching for the other end.

But what they had all missed was the silently flashing red light of a disturbed sensor sitting in the roof of the tunnel just under the entrance.

And in response, high-security alarms began to blare on Garav's island.

* * *

The Doctor was almost done. The lethal gas was on the verge of creation and he hated himself for it. Just as he was adding the last material needed he was suddenly grabbed from behind by two guards, being dragged backwards away from the metal desk. What? Were they taking him back to the Chamber?

"No, please!!" he shouted, "I was working!" But they didn't seem to care as they hauled him through the lab door and down the corridor...

But they weren't headed to the Chamber. They were going up the stairs, back to the main room where the clearly insane Garav had given him so many of his megalomaniac talks.

Strangely, the Doctor couldn't decide whether he preferred the Chamber.

They burst through the doors and the Doctor was thrown to the floor roughly. He pushed himself onto his knees, grimacing as yet more pain shot through his body. He looked up at his surroundings, finding himself in the centre of a group of important-looking people, amongst them Number Three with Kayleigh by his side, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else but there. Finally his eyes went up, up to see the _extremely _angry face of Garav Shweninghar bearing down on him with his knife clutched in his sweaty grip.

"What did you do?!" Garav practically shrieked.

"What?" the Doctor asked, truly clueless.

"Tell me what you did!" Garav screamed, and planted a kick into his stomach. The Doctor curled in on himself, gasping for air.

"I... don't know what... you're talking about!" the Doctor protested through the pain. Garav grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head up, pressing the sharp knife against the Doctor's nose and cheek. The Doctor could feel it breaking his skin, his own blood running in rivulets down his face towards his lips...

"I think you do!" Garav yelled, pressing harder and harder with every passing second... "Torchwood have found you! How did they find you?!"

"I don't know!"

Garav suddenly drew away, taking his knife with him. The Doctor's face was screaming with a sharp pain as more and more blood ran down his face, dropping onto the ground. Garav didn't even look at the Doctor as he spoke his next words:

"Shoot him."

The Doctor's eyes widened, glancing around to find one of the guards stepping in front of him, raising their gun. "I don't know, I swear I don't know!"

The guard fired.

The bullet drilled into his shoulder with ease, hitting him like a sledgehammer. He fell back onto the floor with the impact, crying out in agony as the darkness threatened to finally overwhelm him completely...

Garav had grabbed him again, this time the knife at his throat. "How did they find you?!" he repeated, screaming it into the Doctor's bleeding face.

"How can I know?!" the Doctor screamed in return. "I haven't been anywhere out, have I?! I don't know!"

Garav paused. The Doctor assumed that he was just going to draw the knife across his throat, but instead Garav backed away, leaving the Doctor gasping and crying with pain on the floor.

"We have a traitor," Garav said firmly, his eyes scanning around the crowded room of his closest, most trusted associates.

Seconds passed, until they finally stopped on Number Three. Number Three blinked in surprise, but his Uncle wasn't looking at him.

He was looking at Kayleigh.

* * *

Muddy, limbs aching and oxygen canisters running out, the Torchwood team finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

They reached it, and passed through into what they knew to be the dungeon. They took off their masks and gratefully breathed in air, suddenly feeling a lot better than they had ten seconds ago.

"Right guys," Gary began, dropping the canister and drawing out his firearm, checking it was loaded. "Time to save a friend."


	22. Death of a Schweninghar

**A/N:** This was difficult to write but I thoroughly enjoyed writing the Doctor bits!

* * *

Chapter 22 – Death of a Shweninghar

Lying curled up on the floor, blood pouring from his bullet wound, the Doctor watched Garav slowly approach Kayleigh. She trembled, fear evident in her eyes. He panted for breath, immense pain spreading up his body.

"Did you betray me?" asked Garav, quietly, his voice soft. It was unnerving how calm he sounded.

"Uncle, she wouldn't have..." Daryl – Number Three – stepped forward to block Garav's path.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" spat Garav, his salvia spluttering across Number Three's face, and he roughly shoved his nephew away. His eyes once more focused on the only woman in the room. "Did you liaise with _Torchwood_?"

Kayleigh stumbled backwards. What else could she do? She was dead either way. Reluctantly, she nodded.

Garav inclined his head, and turned away from her, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "Kill her."

"NO! Please!" pleaded Daryl. "I love her!"

_Well, well, Number Three is showing some heart, _thought the Doctor.

"She betrayed us, therefore she must die. And you must be the one to execute her," ordered Garav. He looked at the Doctor, swinging towards him from his nephew. "The rest of you, bandage his arm, give him some clothes and get him aboard my personal boat. We're leaving. I'm not willing to give him up without a fight. If it comes to it, we will all die tonight."

"Pity," whispered the Doctor, as two men grabbed his arms, not caring about his wound and dragged him away, eliciting a scream of pain being ripped from his throat. Garav walked behind his prisoner, leaving his nephew to deal with Kayleigh.

* * *

Number Three grabbed Kayleigh by the arm, pushing her against the wall roughly. "How could you?" he hissed. "How could you betray us? Don't you love me? Because I love you, Kays, and I _don't _want to kill you."

"Daryl... You've helped hold prisoner a man who doesn't deserve what's been done to him... I thought it was just for the money, not for this... If you loved me why didn't you tell me the truth?" asked Kayleigh, tears slipping down her cheeks.

Number Three swallowed. "Because I knew you wouldn't agree..."

"I've helped them because John doesn't deserve this... Your uncle is insane. How could you want to help him with what he wanted John to do?"

"He raised me Kays, after my dad died. I owe him that."

Kayleigh shook her head. "No, you don't... When he raped me..." She shivered as memories assaulted her. "He told me the truth... He said he killed your father. You told me yourself that your dad died in suspicious circumstances and you're telling me your uncle wasn't involved?"

Number Three was silent.

"You think he's responsible too," she whispered. She reached out and took Daryl's hands. "Daryl, we can still survive this. Help me, help John." She ran one hand down his cheek, and leant forward to kiss him.

"No."

Kayleigh felt something press into her abdomen. He was holding a gun on her. "You're really going to kill me?"

"You betrayed us. We could have been famous!"

"FAMOUS FOR WHAT?" she yelled. "FOR KIDNAPPING AND TORTURING AN INNOCENT MAN? A man who has a family waiting for him? A man who could miss seeing his children grow up? You told me when we first met that you wished your father could have been there for you... doesn't John deserve to be there for his own? How can you take a man away from his own family when all you've ever wanted is one of you own?"

Tears stained her cheeks.

Number Three faltered. "Kays..."

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

Number Three turned, shielding Kayleigh with his body, holding his gun up. Four armoured men stood in front of him, barring the exit from the room. All of them had large guns trained on him. He met their eyes and all he saw was death. So he did the one thing that was left open to him.

He raised his gun to his forehead and shot himself.

* * *

"Are you alright, Kayleigh?" asked Gary, stepping forward.

She nodded, her legs feeling numb. "Yeah." She couldn't keep her eyes off the blood pouring out of her lover's head. He had really done that.

Gary took her by the arm. "Come on. We've got to find John."

Kayleigh blinked, rubbing her tired eyes with the back of her hand. "They're trying to evacuate the island."

"Shit," hissed Gary. With ease he pulled out his mobile phone, quickly dialling a number that Kayleigh could not see. "Pete, its Gary. We're in and we have Kayleigh. Daryl Ferguson is dead. Suicide. Kayleigh has informed us that they are taking John off the island. We'll make our way to the harbour now." He closed the phone call. He turned to the rest of his operatives. "Pete will dispatch helicopters to circle the island. His own team will board their boat and give chase. Let's move, people! A friend's life is on the line here!"

They began to move, Kayleigh taking charge and leading them towards the harbour. "Pete Tyler's here?"

Gary nodded, a stony expression on his face. "Yes, arrived this afternoon with reinforcements. We opted to send a small team in, hoping to get John out quietly, but he remained on standby near the beach in case we needed to call them in or the bastards got away with John. We're not going to lose him this time."

* * *

The Doctor knelt on his knees in the centre of the bridge. Well, it wasn't really a bridge, more like a lounge, but that was what Garav was calling it. The boat was a yacht. Quite small, compared to the spacious mansion that Garav owned on the island. There were five cabins, a kitchen, a games room and the lounge, where the roof could open up, or, alternatively go up on deck to steer from.

The Doctor had been clothed in a white shirt and a loose fitting pair of pants. His wound had been bandaged, but not cleaned and it hurt like hell. His arms were wrenched behind his back, causing further pain and inevitable damage to the nerves. He had also been gagged. Of course, screaming at the top of his voice hadn't helped, but short of harming him further, the only thing his captors could do was quieten him.

Knocking him out, apparently, wasn't the answer either.

Garav was standing in front of the wheel, flipping switches as the boat warmed up. A phone rang and Garav pulled out a mobile from his pocket. "Yes!" he snapped, irritable by the interruption.  
"Your nephew is dead, sir. The Torchwood team stopped him from executing the traitor. She is leading them to the bay. We've set up a perimeter and have posted six guards on your vessel. The rest of us will cover your escape."

"Die well, soldier, in the name of glory," said Garav, ending the call immediately. He swung round to face the Doctor and advanced, grabbing him by the hair, twisting his fingers within it and lifting his captive's head up. "I will not give you up! Either way, you will NEVER see Rose Tyler again!" With strength, Garav threw the Doctor to the floor.

* * *

Gary peered around the corner, his eyes narrowed. He hefted his gun and signalled to the others behind him. A line of Garav's men stood between them and the entrance to the harbour. Fifteen of them, armed and dangerous, and only, including himself, five operatives to fight through their stance of defence. They could hear the sound of an engine, evidence that Garav was minutes away from leaving.

Gary bounded around the corner, already shooting without aiming, hoping to hit _something. _

One man went down. Gary's team advanced beside him, displaying no fear. They had protective helmets on their heads so that Garav's men couldn't just aim at their head and kill them. Thankfully, Garav's men hadn't taken the same precautions.

His team spread out, but holding a firm line. Bullets scattered all over the room. The armour they wore protected them from harm. Garav's enforcers did not have protection of any kind, save for their weapons.

They were just a line of disposable men.

"If you surrender, you'll get a fair trial!" shouted Gary. "You can't win this fight!"

"We can die with honour!" came the reply from one of the men. He fired a bullet, but Gary took him down with two in the chest.

"None of you can die with honour! You lost that when aiding Garav Shweninghar, but you can help us by returning a loved one to his family and friends alive! You'll be tried fairly in our courts! Help us and I guarantee you the minimum of twenty years in prison for your crimes!"

The string of bullets that were shot their way told Gary their answer.

"Okay everyone! Take them out!"

One by one the Torchwood operatives took down Garav's minions with ease.

None of the Torchwood operatives sustained any wounds, and with the Garav's men dead or dying, Gary motioned for Kayleigh to slip around the corner. "Okay, lead us on."

She jogged ahead, jumping over one of the dead bodies and out through the door and into a cavernous cave which had been built into the side of the island. This is where Garav had built his harbour. Tons of boats lined the harbour, but Gary knew, that the boat that the Doctor was on, was gone.

One mooring was empty.

Quickly he whipped out his phone, dialling Pete. His boss answered on the first ring. "We were too late to stop them leaving. John is onboard a boat. I don't have a description for you, Pete."

"We have it in our sights and are already intercepting. Any other transportation you can use to get out?"

Gary nodded, even though Pete wouldn't be able to see. "Yes. He has a harbour full of boats. We'll steal one of the motorboats he has and meet you out there."

"Good. We'll attempt to board the yacht, and follow when you can. Harry will circle around once we are aboard, so that they can't steal our transport themselves. Hurry, Gary. We are not losing him again!"

"Yes, sir!" replied Gary, enthusiasm in his voice. Placing his phone in his pocket, Gary turned to his soldiers. "Okay everyone! Let's do some hijacking!"

* * *

**A/N: **I know reddwarfaddict thoroughly enjoyed writing the next chapter... I know, I am a tease!


	23. Epic

**A/N: **Getting up before 7am should be illegal.

* * *

Chapter 23 – Epic 

The Doctor struggled against his bonds, trying in vain to slip his hands out of the ropes but they were bonded far too tightly, practically cutting off his circulation. His newly-acquired shirt was already sticky with his own blood, and he wasn't even sure if he'd stopped bleeding yet from the gunshot wound he'd sustained, although he was very aware of just how much it hurt.

After a few minutes of futile struggling on the floor he looked up at Garav, who was staring out of one of the ship's portholes. The Doctor's keen hearing could make out the sound of approaching helicopters from afar, progressively getting closer and closer. When would Garav kill him? If he could just get up, somehow get out of the ropes and maybe swim away…

But lying on the floor with pains shooting over every inch of his body, he knew he was too badly hurt to even get up, never mind swim across the sea.

"They're here!" Garav yelled, storming over to the Doctor and staring down at his struggling captive with anger burning in his eyes. "Stop struggling!" Garav yelled, lightly placing a foot down on the Doctor's wounded shoulder. The Doctor stilled instantly and unintentionally whimpered beneath his gag, staring up at Garav pleadingly, begging him not to press down…

But somehow the Doctor already knew he would.

Garav began to move.

And then the boat stopped.

Garav looked up sharply, somehow losing all interest in his prisoner and in seconds running out of the bridge. The Doctor knew this was his only chance.

Slowly he rolled onto his uninjured shoulder, biting back yells of pain. He tried to lever himself up to sitting position, but the pain was screaming through all of his limbs, making him feel like he was on fire. But he _had _to do this…

_Rose… _he thought. _Rose… Rose… Rose… Think… Of… Rose…_

He got up to sitting position, but tears were rolling down his face and somehow everything was hurting even more than before – excruciating pain.

_Oh Rose… I'm so sorry. I'm not strong enough._

He blacked out.

* * *

The Doctor awoke to something grabbing his neck, hauling him up. He wrenched open his eyes to meet the extremely angry face of Garav looking back down at him. Garav pulled off his gag.

"What have Torchwood done?!" he shrieked. "They've cut off my engine!"

The Doctor somehow barely cared anymore. He was going to die anyway, Garav had made that _quite _clear. "Oh, bad luck," he replied in an uncaring voice.

In reply Garav slammed his fist into the Doctor's face. "Fix it!" he yelled.

The Doctor stared at him for a moment. "Get a breath mint," he said.

Garav punched him again. "I said _fix it!"_

The Doctor suddenly laughed, startling Garav still holding him around the neck. "I've told you you're insane _quite _a lot of times but the message _still _isn't getting through, is it?" he rasped. He was rewarded with another punch, blood now spilling out from his nose to add to the blood already coating his face from the knife wound.

"Fix it or you _will _be dead!" Garav yelled, drawing a gun out of his coat.

"Oh, so you're an idiot aswell as insane!" the Doctor exclaimed, laughing. "Your criminal empire is falling, so there's no way you can hurt Rose or my children. I never made your gas so you don't even have anything to rebuild yourself on. Torchwood is on your doorstep, quite literally, 'cause the helicopters they're flying are now directly above us. There is no possible way in the Universe that you can escape. I am the only thing you have that can actually make you survive a tiny bit longer, because once I'm dead your life is forfeit. So shoot me all you like, stab me, poison me, cut me up, feed me to sharks, bore me to death with your megalomaniac rants or your Vogon poetry, whatever, but you know what? I have two beautiful baby girls and a fiancée who loves me and I am _not dying today!" _the Doctor spat his last words into Garav's face, who looked at though he might explode with rage.

"_Garav Shweninghar, this is Torchwood! Come out with your hands up!"_

Garav didn't waste any time. He grabbed the Doctor by his arms and hauled him out of the bridge and onto deck. He firmly held his gun to the Doctor's head as he dragged him over to the middle, looking up at the spectacle before him.

Helicopters were hovering above, Torchwood agents in full black armour sliding down ropes and dropping onto the deck. Another boat was even attached to his where more Torchwood operatives were poised in strategic positions defensive and offensive positions with their guns raised – there were so many Garav couldn't count them. A few of his remaining gang soldiers were still around with their guns held high, but they were seriously outnumbered and outequipped.

Peter Tyler stepped onto the boat in a formal suit and a tie. He looked at Garav for a moment before his eyes connected with the Doctor lying at Garav's feet, taking in his appearance.

He was starting to get a little bearded, his hair lengthened past his ears with his skin dirtied with ash and mud. He was deathly pale and looked as though he were about to pass out at any moment, the white skin of his face contrasting drastically with the redness of a huge cut across his face. He was quite obviously malnourished – although he had always been thin, this was _extreme_. The shirt he wore was hanging on his bony frame, the shirt itself stained with enough blood to make Pete queasy.

There wasn't an inch of the Doctor's skin that Pete could see that wasn't bruised or cut and even from where he stood Pete could see the break quite clearly in his leg. He was tied up, ropes binding his ankles together and his hands behind his back, and right now Garav had a gun pressed to his head.

The look in the Doctor's eyes was one Pete had seen on many occasions before. Pain, hope, desperation, despair. Pete wanted to cry at the sight of him, or throw up, or maybe both at the same time. This was his future son-in-law. He just thanked god Rose wasn't here to see this.

He squared up his shoulders, and began to walk towards Garav, stopping a few metres short.

"John?" he asked first, looking down at the bedraggled man in Garav's grip. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy, thanks," the Doctor replied. "But I've got a gun attached to my head."

Pete couldn't help but smile at this as he looked up at Garav. "All I ask, Mr Shweninghar, is for John's safe return," he said as slowly and as unthreateningly as he could.

Garav didn't answer verbally. He merely pressed his foot down on the point of the Doctor's broken leg, issuing a choking scream from the man in his arms. Pete couldn't control his flinch.

"Please," Pete tried to reason with him. "You will be tried fairly in the court of law."

"Do you really think I care about that?" Garav spat back, looking up as yet more Torchwood soldiers arrived on the boat. The Doctor recognised Gary instantly, who looked at him sadly.

"John," Gary began, forcing a sad smile. "Your baby girls are doing fine. Rose is so big and beautiful, she's waiting for you back home."

The Doctor offered a pained smile back. "Tell her I love her."

"Tell her yourself," Gary said, grinning. "You're not dying today."

The Doctor reinforced his smile. "Wasn't planning to."

Garav stamped down on his leg. The Doctor cried out with pain, and Gary's face twisted into one of subdued anger at the mistreatment of his friend, reaffirming his grip on his gun.

Pete began again. "He's not the one you should be angry with. He's innocent. He didn't do anything to you. You have no motive to kill him."

"We're all going to die anyway," Garav grated, grabbing the Doctor as firmly as he could and throwing him over the side rails of the boat, and but seconds later came the sound of a body crashing into the water. But before anyone could move Garav had drawn a small metal device out of his pocket and ripped open his jacket in one swift movement.

He was lined with bombs, strapped around his torso.

Pete instantly knew he was packed with enough explosives to take out the ship. He was a human bomb. And precious seconds of John's life were ticking away Pete knew, sinking down into the water like a stone…

Garav made to press the detonator.

"NO!" suddenly yelled a voice from behind him and someone pushed past him, running straight towards Garav and throwing themselves onto him, pinning him to the floor.

"Kayleigh?!" Gary gasped, faltering.

"Run!" Kayleigh yelled, staring up at Pete pleadingly as she tried to hold Garav in place. "I can't hold him for long!"

Pete knew there was nothing her could do to save her. She had made her choice.

"RETREAT!" he yelled across the deck, throwing his arm in the direction of the water. He glanced at Gary. "Gary!" he shouted, gesturing in the direction Garav had thrown the Doctor.

"On it!" he yelled back already dropping his gun to the floor and diving off of the edge of the boat after the Doctor. Gunshots were being fired from Garav's men but the chaos was so great no one could get a successful shot. Pete jumped over the siderails and plunged cannonball into the water, regaining control as he swam away from the boat surrounded by his soldiers, his heart thumping in his chest…

Garav exploded with a deafening blast from the ship that ripped out in all directions, throwing all of the people swimming at least ten metres forward. Debris began to rain down on them all as the ship exploded into bits, and as Pete looked back he saw what was left of the ship's hull sinking, with fires raging all across the water on pieces of fallen debris. He scoured the sea for any signs of Gary or the Doctor, but he couldn't see them anywhere.


	24. Rescue!

Chapter 24 – Rescue!

Pete swam in the freezing water, the wreckage of Garav's boat floating all around him, various parts of it still flaming away, but the bulk of the boat had sunk beneath the surface. He kicked his legs hard, paddling towards the stationary speeder boat that one of his men had commandeered and hadn't approached Garav's yacht with. Most of his men were swimming beside them, the majority of them having come from the helicopters above but hadn't been able to get away in time via the air so had simply jump into the water. Above them the lights of the helicopter beams fell upon them, wooden ladders coming down, hitting the surface of the water, while soldier after soldier ascended.  
Pete continued to swim towards the motor boat.  
"Boss!" someone yelled from the boat, throwing a wooden ladder over the side so that he could haul himself up and over.

It was Jet.

Pete reached the motor boat and climbed the ladder; the youngster helping to pull him into the boat over the ledge. A towel was place around him and then a second, but he waved a third away. "Don't mind me. Have you seen John and Gary?"

"No sir," said Jet.

"You didn't see John get thrown overboard?"

"Oh, I did sir, but I lost sight of him, and Gary when he jumped over."

"Damn," hissed Pete. "Get this thing started! We need to find them!" He leaned over the side of the boat, peering into the darkness, even as the helicopter lights continued to shine onto the water's surface. "GARY! JOHN!" I can't have lost them... We've come this fair... Please, please...

And then he saw a figure floating, struggling to keep someone else above the level of the water. His heart leapt in his chest, praying for them to be Gary and the Doctor. One of the helicopter lights landed on the position of the two figures. Pete breathed a sigh of relief. It was Gary and John. But John was unconscious and deathly white, and clearly the Torchwood operative was struggling to maintain his hold on him.

Without even thinking about his own coldness, Pete threw off the towels and leapt into the water, swimming towards the position, even as Jet switched on the engine of the speeder and followed him. Pete reached Gary, and helped lift the Doctor's head above the water.

Jet manoeuvred the boat as close as possible and then reached out as Pete and Gary attempted to lift the Doctor out of the water. It was difficult, but with the Doctor being unconscious, any pain that he would have experienced, remained painless in his non-waking world. Jet hauled the body over the edge and laid John out on the deck, even as Pete and Gary scrambled overboard.

Jet already had his knife open and had cut the Doctor's bonds on his wrists and ankles. They rolled him onto his back, placing towel, after towel over the body.

Gary knelt down beside his friend and colleague and placed two fingers on the base of the Doctor's throat. "I can't find a pulse..." He reached for the Doctor's left arm, searching. "Nothing." Then he knelt down to the Doctor's chest and gently placed his ear against the rib cage. "His heart isn't beating."

"No..." whispered Pete. "JET! Get us to the beach quick! And have a helicopter on stand-by for us to board as soon as possible!"

Gary was already kneeling on the floor, pressing his hands down on the Doctor's chest.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Followed by two breaths into the Doctor's open mouth.

And repeat.

Pete watched anxiously, fear in his gut. He wouldn't bring back a dead John. He had promised Rose. They couldn't lose him after this. Not after so long. He had a life to get back to, people who relied on him. Please. Don't make me tell Rose.

And then the Doctor coughed, his eyes fluttering as he took in a deep breath.

"John," whispered Pete quietly, as the Doctor's diluted eyes focused on him. "You're safe now. You'll be seeing Rose soon."

"Co.....ma," whispered the Doctor, even as his eyes slid shut.

"What?" asked Pete.

Gary shrugged. "He's stabilised for now though. But we need to get him to a hospital as soon as possible."

Pete gently stroked the Doctor's damp hair. "He'll be fine." I hope.

* * *

Rose was sitting on the sofa, cushions propped up against her back. She rested a book on her belly but wasn't really reading it. Her thoughts were elsewhere. Focused entirely on the love of her life. The Doctor, who was out there suffering. She couldn't concentrate on anything, not while she knew he was still a captive.

"You should get some sleep, sweetheart," said Jackie, walking into the lounge, wearing a pink dressing gown and holding two cups of tea in her hands. "Here. I made one for you."

Rose smiled weakly. "Thanks." She placed the offered cup on the table next to her. "I can't sleep, I can't concentrate. I have to know he's safe. I'm not gonna rest until I get that call, mum!"

"Sweetheart," soothed Jackie, reaching out and stroking her daughter's hair. "He'll be okay. Pete will get him back, I know he will."

Rose looked sadly at her mother, her eyes wide with a little bit of fear. "Dad's said that before. And he didn't. What makes you think they'll succeed this time?"

"Because Rose, I have faith that this time they will save him. They have Kayleigh helping them. Despite what she did, sweetheart, she's aiding us now," replied Jackie.

Rose didn't answer, instead she picked up her cup of tea and sipped it.

* * *

Rose woke with a start. She had fallen asleep, the empty cup of tea had fallen on the soft carpet, the book she had been reading open on the floor, her place in the novel lost. She blinked wearily wondering why she had abruptly woken. Her mother came rushing into the room, calling her name and she became alert instantly. "Mum?"

"Rose! Your phone! It's ringing!" Jackie reached the table, even as Rose's brain processed the information, and passed the mobile to her daughter.

Her hands trembling with fear, Rose flipped it open and calmly as possible said: "Hello?"

"Rose."

"Dad."

"How are you?"

Rose felt dread build in her stomach. Her father would not be asking that if it was good news. He would have got straight to the point. "He's dead isn't he?" she answered.

Silence on the other end.

"Dad. I need to know."

"He's not dead, Rose," said Pete, his voice soft. "But he's badly hurt."

"What happened?" swallowed Rose. "How bad is the damage?"

Pete sighed. "Garav must've had sensors in that tunnel as he escaped before Gary and his team got onto the island. They loaded the Doctor onto a boat and escaped. They discovered that Kayleigh had betrayed them, but Gary managed to save her life. Number Three took his own life. Gary passed us the information and we started to fan out on the river, helicopters circling above, everything. We used a device to stall the boat once it was in our sights. We boarded and Garav threatened the Doctor, but he threw him overboard. Garav was a human bomb, Rose, and Kayleigh stopped him, giving us the chance to evacuate the boat before it exploded. We have a few injuries but not many. Gary dived into the water after John was thrown in. By the time we found them, John wasn't breathing."

Rose's heart stalled.

"You can thank Gary later for getting it beating again. But John is injured badly. Broken leg, a large gash on his cheek, a bullet wound in the shoulder. He'll be scarred all over his body, Rose, even if we artificially remove some. He's in hospital at the moment, in surgery," said Pete.

"Why?" asked Rose, more fear filling her gut.

"Internal bleeding. We'll be staying out here until he stabilises and then we'll fly him home. I'll be making a call to the press later – there is a lot of interest in what happened out to sea. They know we are involved and they need a statement from me. I won't tell them the full story, just a general statement. If anyone gets onto the property, get their name and who they work for, and I'll sort them when we get back."

For some reason Rose felt like her father wasn't telling her something. "What are you not telling me?"

"You're good, you know that?" said Pete, wearily.

"Are you gonna say or leave me sitting here worrying?" questioned Rose, as her eyes sought her mother's.

"No. I'll be blunt with you, Rose. He's had various head injuries. And he nearly drowned from lack of air. Rose, he's in a coma. And we're not sure if he'll wake up again."

Whatever her father said next, Rose didn't hear him, as her world span and she fell from her chair, darkness clouding her vision as she fainted.

* * *

**A/N: **Did you really think the Doctor was out of the woods yet? We do love our whump... you might have figured it out during the course of this story... Maybe its time I checked into the mental asylum?


	25. Waiting To Wake

**A/N: **I can now confirm this story is 30 chapters long, and is fully written :D

* * *

Chapter 25 – Waiting To Wake

Rose opened her eyes, confused and disorientated as she looked up to find Jackie staring down at her in concern, stroking her face.

"Rose!" she exclaimed, smiling. "How are you feelin', sweetheart?"

"Wha… What?" Rose asked groggily, struggling to sit up on the bed she had been somehow moved to.  
"I'm afraid you had a bit of a shock," came a new voice from across the room, and Rose turned her head to see a curly-haired man sitting in the corner of the room on a wicker chair, writing on a clipboard in his hands. "Nothing to worry about, though. You be fine in a few minutes."

"Bloody Pete, I swear…" Jackie muttered. "Had a right go at him I did after you conked out. Imagine if you went into labour! I'd be picking your babies up off of the floor right now!"

"Mum…" Rose murmured, her mind still a bit fuzzy though she remembered quite clearly what had caused her to faint. "I asked him to… I wanted to know."

Head injuries. Lack of air. Her Doctor, lying on a table somewhere in Italy crowded by surgeons trying to save his life. He was only human, now, he couldn't pull any handy Time Lord biological tricks to try and save his own life.

And he couldn't even regenerate.

But he was in a coma, right? That was something, at least. He wasn't dead. He'd wake up… eventually.

… But would he? Had his frail new human body taken too much? He was so delicate now, and he'd been through so much…

She mentally listed all of the injuries her father had told her. Broken leg, bullet wound, internal bleeding… scars that would last forever. She didn't mind it. She didn't mind anything. Even if he was in a wheelchair and dribbling she would still love him – how could she not? She was all he had in this parallel world. No TARDIS, no nothing. Just her. And she would be there for him. Because she owed that to him, to the Doctor.

He had made a promise.

"_I'll be okay, I'll see you again, I promise."_

And it was all she had left to cling on to.

* * *

Pete Tyler sat outside the Italian Operating Room, leant forward, hands clutched together, staring at the floor. Opposite him was sat Gary in a mirror pose, the amount of time that had passed since the Doctor entered emergency surgery hard to discern but Pete or Gary had barely moved a muscle as they waited, both terrified for the surgeons to tell them what was happening.

Suddenly there was the sound of echoing footsteps on the corridor floor and Gary and Pete both sharply looked up to find a surgeon walking towards them, and unreadable expression on his face. Both Gary and Pete tensed.

"We have completed surgery, John is in a critical state. I'm afraid he has sustained quite a multitude of injuries," the man began in Italian. "Multiple cases of head trauma has meant he had sustained a subdural hematoma, but we now have that under control. He had intra-abdominal bleeding which we have also managed to control and have reset his fractured bones. There is evidence that fractures sustained before have not healed properly, so we have broken and reset them."

Pete and Gary both nodded, somehow sensing there was a 'but' on the horizon.

"He remains in a coma, but he will have to come out of it on his own."

"How long do you think that will take?" Gary asked anxiously.

The surgeon shook his head. "I'm afraid we cannot say for sure, each person is individual. It could be hours; it could be weeks. But we will do the best we can to make him comfortable. We will take him for an MRI as soon as he is ready to move to assess any potential brain damage, or if indeed there is even activity in his brain."

Pete simply couldn't accept the implication that his soon-to-be son-in-law – the father to his grandchildren – could be braindead.

* * *

Pete only got a glance of the Doctor as he was wheeled past towards the MRI room a few hours later. Pete had caught a fleeting glance of wild brown hair poking out from underneath a head bandage… but then again, he seemed to be about 95% bandage and about 70% tube.

The Doctor was placed, unmoving onto the scanner bed. He was given a few injections before the lights dulled, the bed slid in, and the scan commenced.

Pete watched as the MRI scans came back on the screen, and the nurse pointed out to him certain areas.

"There's definitely some activity," she said, pointing out areas to Pete who practically sighed in relief. "From where the activity is, he is very likely to be dreaming."

Pete smiled. "So no indication of when he'll wake up?"

She shook her head. "He'll wake up whenever he is ready."

* * *

Torchwood had commandeered the whole ward the Doctor was in, with four guards in the hallway, two posted on the door and six more in the ward itself, all armed to the teeth to protect him though there was probably not really any outside threat to him now.

Pete and Gary pushed their way through to the bed where the Doctor lying, impassive and dead to the world as Pete finally saw him fully for the first time since they had got to the hospital.

As Pete had thought, he _was _about 95% bandage and about 70% tube. He looked a lot cleaner than he had before, but still very very thin and scarred. Pete sighed, dropping in a chair beside the bed with the heart rate monitor beeping in his ears, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Bastards," Gary muttered from behind him, and Pete found him standing over him with his eyes fixed on the Doctor. "He was innocent."

Pete could only nod. He leant forward to the Doctor, elbows leaning on the bed as he stared at the Doctor's closed eyes. "Come on, Doctor," he urged under his breath. "For Rose."

The Doctor didn't move.

"Gary," Pete began, leaning back in his chair again. "Release a statement to the press in time for tomorrow. Tell them John Smith has been rescued and the terrorist threat is eliminated. John Smith is currently recovering in a hospital in Italy."

Gary nodded, writing all of that down. "Of course, sir. Anything else?"

Pete began to shake his head, but then stopped. "Yes. If Jackie calls, tell her I'm busy."


	26. Homecoming

Chapter 26 - Homecoming

Days went by and still the Doctor made no sign of movement. Every three days they performed another brain scan on him to see if there had been any changes. The Doctor was still dreaming, but there were signs showing that he was repairing himself, albeit slowly.

Two weeks later, the doctors deemed John well enough to transfer him back to England via plane, however they were confused as to why he hadn't woken up as all signs pointed to the fact he should have done. However, the Doctor was stable enough to make the journey home. Due to the operation he'd required on his brain, the surgeons had, had to shave of the majority of his hair, leaving a thin scar where they had made the incision into his skull.

It was clear to both Pete and Gary, that the Doctor's alien physiology, or the alien half of him at least, had accelerated the healing on his head and his hair was quickly growing back to cover the bald patch he had acquired.

The Doctor was transferred via ambulance, with a police escort to the main airport in Rome, where Pete, Gary and two other Torchwood operatives boarded a Torchwood jet. The Doctor was loaded into the lobby, strapped down securely with a nurse at his side in case he needed anything.

This precaution was unnecessary, as he didn't need anything throughout the journey which took just under three hours.

* * *

"Tony, why don't you entertain Rose? Keep her mind off things, eh?" asked Jackie, tapping her five year old son on the shoulder.

"Do I have too? Rosey doesn't like me..." said Tony sadly.

"'Course she does, sweetheart. Your big sister is just worried about John," soothed Jackie.

Tony put down the blocks he was playing with, looking up at his mother with big, round eyes. "Is he coming home?"

"Yeah, he is," said Jackie, rubbing the top of her son's head. "But Rose needs someone to take her mind off it." She turned and picked up a board game. A learning one for Tony, a variation of snakes and ladders, but in order to go up the ladders there were sums to do. On various squares there were shapes, so if you landed on one you had to correctly guess what it was before being able to roll the dice again. "Here, why not ask Rose to play with you?"

"Okay, mummy," replied Tony, taking the box in his small palms and walking out of the living room and towards where Rose sat in the dining room at the table. "Rosey? Do you wanna play a game with me?"

Rose looked down at her step brother as he climbed up on one of the chairs, placing the box on the table. She tried to smile warmly. "Mum sent you, didn't she? It doesn't matter. I don't mind." She reached out and opened the box, setting out the board.

"What'cha gonna call the babies?" asked Tony.

Rose shrugged. "I dunno. Haven't thought of any."

"Can I help name 'em?" the boy asked, his eyes wide.

"What do you have in mind?" replied Rose, stroking her belly.

"Annabelle! Janey! Lucy! Jo-Jo!" He was practically bouncing up and down. Tony was naming all his friend's from school. "Laura! Heather! Timmy!"

Rose giggled, trying to stifle a laugh. "Timmy is a boy's name!"

"But, but Timmy's mum dresses him in girl's clothes!"

Rose shook her head. "He wears a kilt. He's Scottish! It's something that they do, Tony. You'll understand when you're older."

"But I wanna know now!" pouted Tony, rubbing his head with his hand, reminding Rose exactly of the Doctor whenever he did that same action.

"Tell you what, when John is better, I'll get him to explain it to you. Okay?" said Rose.

"Really?" Tony perked up.

"Yeah, big sister promise," grinned Rose, her eyes meeting her mother's who had been watching from the doorway.

"Cool!" He turned around, seeing his mum. "Mummy, did you hear that? John's gonna teach me something! I'm gonna be like an adult!"

Rose laughed. It had been hard for Tony living in a house full of adults, but soon, two new children would be added to the household. Rose stroked her belly. _Hopefully their father will be awake to see them._

* * *

Three hours later an ambulance rolled up outside the mansion. It was after dark, and Tony had been put to bed. Rose was exhausted, her back aching from the weight she carried. She should have gone to bed to rest, but there was no way she was missing seeing the Doctor arrive home, even if he was in a coma.

Rose and Jackie stayed in the living room while Pete, Gary and the Torchwood doctor's sorted out the Doctor's room. Rose found herself shaking and she looked at her mother worriedly. She shouldn't be feeling like this. The last time she had seen the Doctor in the flesh had been when he had been taken in that shopping mall. Tied up and gagged... unconscious.

"Don't worry sweetheart, he'll be fine," said Jackie, taking her daughter's hand in her own.

"Mum, I haven't seen him in months... I'm big as a balloon now!" Tears were already cascading down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. "What if....what if he doesn't recognise me when he wakes up? They had to operate on his brain!"

"Rose..." began Jackie, moving over to sit next to her daughter and pulling her into a hug. "Pete said the scans show activity. That's good, isn't it?"

Rose sniffed. "But he should have got better by now."

"Maybe it's a Time Lord thing?" her mother suggested, rubbing her hand up and down her daughter's back.

"Maybe," replied Rose softly, looking down at the carpet.

The door to the living room opened and Pete stepped inside. He was weary, tired and pale. "You can go and see him if you want."

Rose nodded, getting up from where she sat with Jackie's help. "Please come with me... I don't want to be on my own... just in case..." She couldn't finish, but Jackie understood.

Pete led them up the stairs to the first floor of the mansion, along the hallway to the room next door to where Rose and the Doctor had stayed. He pushed open the door, and Rose stepped inside.

She felt her knees buckle as she took in the Doctor's still form in the bed he was lying in. He was covered mostly in bandages. On the left side of his face was a thin scar trailing from the bridge of his nose to his cheek. As she reached the bed, she moved her hand to gently stroke the healed tissue of the scar; tears springing back into her eyes.

Trying to prevent the tears from flowing forth, Rose stooped, carefully and gently kissed the Doctor on the lips. "Please wake up. I need you. The twins need you."

He made no reaction to her presence and Rose felt her heart break. She couldn't stop the emotion pouring forth, but she was pleased that the Doctor, her lover, was back home where he belonged: even if it meant he never woke up. At least he was back home with her, away from the terrible people that had hurt him so much.

Settling herself into an arm-chair, Rose waited.

Waited for the time when he would wake up, because she needed him, and he needed her.

* * *

**A/N:** So Tony is interested in why Scottish men wear 'skirts'... Will the Doctor ever be able to answer him?


	27. Waiting

Chapter 27 – Waiting...

Rose visited the sleeping Doctor every day, taking full control of changing his IVs and bandages, quickly assuming the role of his personal nurse. She never stopped talking to him; giving him news on how the babies were growing and what was going on in Torchwood, the Tyler household and around the world.

It was all she could do to hold his bandaged hand and just talk continuously for hours on end. It was the silence she couldn't bear. Or rather, the continuous beep of the machinery knelling his single heartbeat.

She feared it might stop if she listened too much.

His doctor came in everyday at 10am to check him over, and consequently grew increasingly more and more confused as each day ticked by to why his patient had not woken up yet. Jackie, Pete and Tony also visited as often as they could, just trying to give Rose the love and support she so desperately needed as the children of the comatose man grew inside her with every passing day.

So Rose kept on talking. Touching him. Kissing him. _Needing _him.

Everytime she needed to leave him she left a note on the bedside table, just in case he woke up – to let him know when she would be back.

But the ever growing pile of paper remained untouched.

But never once did she stop hoping. Because that was all she could really do. Hope, and wait. But she could, and would, wait forever. Because he would wake up.

He had made a promise.

* * *

Two months passed.

Most of his bandages were gone, leaving some permanent scars on his body, including the one across his face that had now turned completely white. Rose, now almost at full term, cut his hair when it was needed, shaved him, gave him bed baths. She took care and patience everytime, never once pressing down where she knew it would hurt him, even if he was in a coma.

She stayed by his side. She wanted to be the first thing he saw when he woke up.

One Sunday morning his doctor came around to check him up, and explained to Rose that he had healed remarkably fast, but he would probably need intense physiotherapy to recover his lost muscle mass. His brain activity was very high and indicative that he continued to dream. But there was no explanation as to why he was still in a coma. More scans had been performed to check for brain damage, but there was absolutely nothing. He just wasn't waking up.

The doctor was gone by 12pm, leaving Rose back alone with the comatose man. She reached up to his cheek, cupping it in her hand and rubbing her thumb over the white scar on his face. He was still thinner than normal, his skin pale and cold to the touch, but he looked completely at peace.

He was beautiful when he slept.

She leant forward and kissed him on the lips, feeling unfallen tears waiting behind her eyes. So she closed them, lowering her head to rest on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

1...

2...

3...

4...

5...

6...

7...

8...

9...

10.

She opened her eyes.

He hadn't moved a millimetre.

The tears fell shortly after.

* * *

When Gary entered the Doctor's room a few hours later, he found Rose sitting by his bed as she always did, reading to him from a book. Gary recognised it instantly. It was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

She stopped halfway through her sentence, looking up at Gary and forcing a smile.

"Good to know you've got Harry Potter in this universe as well," she said, setting the book down on the table.

Gary nodded, laughing as he took a seat beside her. He knew about Rose, Jackie and John's history. "How is he?"

Rose looked back at the Doctor, still comatose, his chest rising and falling steadily. "He's not..." she paused, swallowing. "... He's the same."

Gary held back a sigh, staring at the Doctor with her. "His brainwaves are still high. Better than no brainwaves at all."

She nodded slowly. Gary saw this, and wrapped a supportive arm around her.

"He has no plans on dying," he assured her as she leant into him, seeking his comfort. "He loves you, there's no doubt about that. He won't die, 'cause he's got you and his children to come back to."

She smiled gratefully. "Did he say that? During the rescue?"

Gary affirmed with another nod. "There he was, kneeling on the floor with a gun to his head, freely talking to me. He told me to tell you that he loves you, and that he wasn't planning to die. And God knows, he meant it, he should've been stone dead when we pulled him onto the boat. But he survived, stubborn guy he is." Gary suddenly fell silent, staring at the far wall, as if absorbed in memories. Suddenly his eyes widened and he looked at Rose. "Oh God, I've just realised!"

Rose drew back from him, alarmed. "What?"

"Just before he passed out he said something... coma. He said coma." He continued to stare at her. "Rose, the alien part of him, could he voluntarily go into a coma?"

Rose just gawped for a moment, her eyes flickering back and forth between Gary and the Doctor as she contemplated the concept.

"I... don't know," she finished weakly. "I think so." ..._I hope so._

* * *

Rose had quickly scribbled a note for the Doctor as she always did, leaving it on the pile before she and Gary tore off towards Pete's home office. They needed some support, some reassurance that their logic was right.

Pete listened without interruption, nodding throughout their theory.

"It is plausible," he agreed. "I won't lie, Rose. When I set out I thought I'd be bringing home a dead man. By rights he should've died from the way he was treated, No human could've survived what he went through. It was probably the alien part that helped. And that alien part probably has some failsafes." He paused before he looked at Gary, confused. "You know about him?"

"He told me," Gary replied shortly.

"And you believed him?" Pete asked, eyebrow raised.

"Of course I did. It all makes sense. We fight bad aliens all the time, I don't see why there shouldn't be good aliens too. And John _is _extraordinary."

Pete nodded, satisfied. "But there's been no changes in him?"

Rose shook her head. Pete sighed.

"Keep holding on, Rose. If this is all true, then he's just healing himself."

* * *

Rose was back in the Doctor's room when it started.

She knew by instinct that her waters had broken halfway through chapter 22 of Harry Potter. It wasn't long after Harry had asked Cho to the Yule Ball that she felt her first contraction. No, please, he wasn't awake, this was too early...

Without hesitation she drew out her mobile and dialled for her Mum. Jackie answered on the first ring as Rose described her situation, somehow hoping this was only Braxton-Hicks...

"_Rose, love," _Jackie's voice said on the other end, quiet and weak. _"You're goin' into labour."_

"I can't..." Rose whispered down the phone, looking at the Doctor. "He needs to be awake."

"_I'm coming, sweetheart," _her Mum replied gently. _"Just hold on."_

She hung up, leaving Rose staring at the comatose Doctor in disbelief. He couldn't miss this, he just couldn't... He had to be there when she gave birth... He had to see his daughters being born....

"Please wake up," she whispered, holding his hand tightly.

But he didn't.

* * *

**A/N: **/Pets poor sick Doctor

He is a cutie when he sleeps :D Though hopefully not for the rest of his life! :D


	28. Birth

**A/N: **I know nothing about childbirth!

* * *

Chapter 28 - Birth

The contractions hurt like hell. The babies were coming and fast. Rose lay in the back of the ambulance, her eyes crunched up in pain. Jackie sat with her, one hand in hers as the pain reverberated throughout her body. Pete was following behind in his car, escorted by the police to make sure he kept up with the ambulance that was taking his daughter to hospital. Gary was staying by the Doctor's bedside, keeping watch for them and would inform them of any changes, but Pete wasn't holding up much hope.

Within seven minutes they are at the Royal Hope Hospital near London Bridge. Rose was swiftly taken to a private suite in the birthing ward, while Jackie and Pete waited outside. Nurses and doctors were on hand to supervise Rose throughout the birth. She was adamant to have them naturally. Every test had been done and it had been decreed that the babies would survive a natural birth. However, an anaesthetist was on stand-by in the delivery suite just in case complications arose and an operation was required to extract the babies safely.

Jackie rested her head on her husband's shoulder.

"She'll be alright, Jacqs," said Pete, wrapping his arm around his wife.

"You weren't there when Rose was born," replied Jackie softly.

"I know. Did it hurt?"

Jackie straightened, eyeing her husband with incredibility. "Were you not there were on Tony was born?"

"Oh," blushed Pete. He could recall that night very vividly. He still had nightmares about that. Jackie had not been pleased with him, especially since she had been in labour for over twenty hours. Oh, Jackie Tyler had been screaming at him through the closed doors that had separated him. He shuddered as he remembered her vow to kill him for doing this to her for the second time. Never again.

Jackie flinched as she heard Rose cry out in pain. Pete pulled her tighter into a hug.

* * *

Gary sat beside the motionless Doctor, reading the newspaper. He was completely still, not moving, but then he saw something... a flicker behind the eyelids... or so he thought, for when he moved closer, the movement had stopped, if it had been there in the first place.

"Come on John, give us a miracle. We know you are in there somewhere. You got yourself into this coma, get yourself out. You're going to be a father soon..."

* * *

They'd had no option but to operate. One of the babies, it was found was breech, and it would be safer for the mother and the child to go through with a caesarean. Jackie and Pete had been allowed into the staff room to rest, where a bed had been set up. Doctors on call regularly used the beds at night to sleep in when they were not needed, but in honour of their need for privacy, the ward manager had agreed to allow them usage of it.

Rose was in surgery for over two hours before she was returned to recovery. Nor Jackie or Pete wanted to see their grandchildren until Rose had seen them herself. They had been informed that the girls were doing fine, breathing on their own, and though a bit small as they were a few weeks early, they were doing well.

A knock came on the door and Pete looked up, seeing the nurse in charge beckoning for them to follow her. "She's awake, your daughter, and asking for you."

Taking Jackie's hand in his, Pete led his wife out of the staff room and to the private room Rose had been given. He pushed his wife in front of him. Inside the room, Rose sat up, a tired look on her face and in her arms, resting wrapped up in pink blankets were the twin girls.

"Oh...Rose," whispered Jackie, stepping forward.

"Hey," said Rose. "They're beautiful..."

Jackie moved over to stare down into the small faces of her grandchildren. Pink and slightly chubby, their chests rose as they breathed. They were so small. Both girls had a tuft of brown hair poking out of the pink hats they wore. Jackie smiled. "Aww, they have their father's hair..."

"Yeah," grinned Rose, but then her smile fell. "He should be here for this..."

"I know, sweetheart," said Jackie gently. "He'll get there. I know he will. I believe in 'im."

"Do you have names yet?" asked Pete. "Or are we going to call them baby girl one and baby girl two?" he joked, referring to the name tags that were on the twin's wrists.

Rose pouted. "I was hoping the Doctor would be here for this, so I never picked any..." She felt tears springing in her eyes. "I want him here, mum."

Jackie moved forward, gently slipping one of the babies out of her daughter's grip, and placing the small baby inside the incubator next to Rose's bed, while Pete extracted the other one, placing it beside her sister. It wasn't a good idea for Rose to be holding the babies if she was to cry. "Come here, sweetheart. Everything's going to be fine..."

Rose wrapped her arms around her mother, the tears falling freely now, and bit by bit she fell asleep, in the safety of her mother's arms.

* * *

"My baby girls are okay?"

Gary jumped, shocked by the sudden voice that had penetrated the silence within the room. He looked around desperately for Tony, but realised the little boy had gone to stay with a family friend when Rose had been taken to the hospital. He blinked rapidly, focusing his vision upon the figure in the bed.

Familiar brown eyes looked up at him from the bed.

"John?" asked Gary. "I'm not dreaming this, am I?"

"Pinch yourself and find out."

Gary did just that, taking a bit of skin in between his fingers and pressing hard. He _didn't _wake up. He felt dizzy. The Doctor was awake! He felt like dancing and shouting out the window at the miracle that had just happened. "Oh my god... I'm just... How are you?" Probably not a good question to ask.

The Doctor did an awkward shrug. "Alright, I guess. Ache a lot though. How long have I been out?"

"A few months," replied Gary. "Rose has been worried sick about you... You're a father now, John. The babies were born earlier today."

"I know... I heard her go into labour."

"Why didn't you say something, especially when I begged you to wake up earlier?" questioned Gary, though he figured that the Doctor probably didn't need to be questioned quite so soon after being in a coma for a long time.

"Because I was just waking up. I wasn't fully conscious yet. I've been slowly coming out of it for a few days now. I had to be sure that I was healed enough inside and out before bringing myself out," the Doctor explained.

Gary smiled triumphantly. "So you did put yourself into a coma then?"

The Doctor's eyes twinkled. "I did say coma after you got my heart beating again. I'd have tried more, but speaking after having a heart attack _while _drowning was not a good idea. I put myself into a coma otherwise I wouldn't have survived to the hospital. I knew I wouldn't survive if I didn't... and I didn't know if I still had that ability to go into one or pull out of it. Being half human sucks big-time. Oh... that's me channelling Donna again." He winced, gritting his teeth. "Ow."

Gary's face immediately went from happy to concern. "Are you okay?"

"Just a little bit uncomfortable," said the Doctor. "My back hurts."

Gary reached into the cupboard, pulling out a spare pillow. "Here." With a little difficulty, Gary slid the pillow under the Doctor's back. "Better?"

"Yeah. So, are you going to tell Rose the good news or shall I do the honours?" asked the Doctor, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"NO. They've had enough shocks for one day. You need to rest."

"I have been resting! For months!" The Doctor was adamant about that.

"Until the doctor's have assessed you, you will stay there," said Gary, putting his foot down. He reached into his pocket and started to dial. He locked his gaze with the Doctor's. "Now, sleep."

The Doctor rolled his eyes but closed his lids, and found himself sliding into a light sleep.

* * *

Rose woke to someone shaking her gently. She opened her blurry eyes and her words came out slightly slurred. "Wha...? Goi' on?"

"It's me," said her mother, a smile on her face.

Rose shook her head gently. "What is it?" For some reason she felt like something good had happened, apart from her becoming a mother of course.

"The Doctor's woken up. Fifteen minutes ago. Gary's just phoned."

* * *

**A/N: **Only two more to go...


	29. Verifying Reality

**A/N: **My (reddwarfaddict's) last chapter of the story. Everybody say awww! :D

* * *

Chapter 29 – Verifying Reality

Rose just gaped at her mother, all of her fatigue from the quick awakening melting away as she stared in utter disbelief.

"He's.. awake?" she whispered, eyes wide. "I don't believe it..." A small smile suddenly appearing on her lips. "He's awake..." It was sinking in. "He's awake!"

Jackie smiled, holding her daughter's hand. "I told you he'd get there."

Rose couldn't decide whether to cry or laugh. "I want to see him..."

"They're gonna want to keep you in for a bit, love," Jackie said gently. "To check you and the girls are okay. Pete's gone back to the mansion to see him."

Rose nodded, disappointed, but knowing it was for the best. All she could do was wait.

* * *

Frankly, the Doctor was feeling quite violated as the doctor gave him a very thorough and intrusive physical. Pete and Gary watched him from across the room, observing every little thing with anxious expressions on their faces – like they somehow expected him to never be able to walk again.

When the doctor was done with the physical he took up a clipboard and a pen, perching himself on the end of the bed and peering at the Doctor over half-moon spectacles.

"How are you feeling in general, Mr Smith?" he asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "Can't complain."

"Are you in pain?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at him, his Donna side bursting forth. "What do _you_ think?"

The doctor shifted uncomfortably, jotting down on his clipboard. "Well, of course," he said, clearing his throat. "I'll arrange some counselling for you, Mr Smith. I have no doubt you'll need it."

"I'm fine," the Doctor said, waving an ineffectual hand. "I've been through worse. The only counselling I need is holding my children and a few physiotherapy sessions with Rose Tyler..." He trailed off, looking over at Pete. "How's Rose? My babies?"

"They're absolutely fine," Pete replied, offering a supportive smile. "Rose is staying in hospital for a while to make sure everything's okay."

The Doctor nodded, his heart aching that he wouldn't be able to see Rose for a few more days yet, but her and the twin's health was first and foremost. "Good."

"How do you feel about walking, Mr Smith?" the doctor suddenly said.

The Doctor grinned. "Positive!" he said, throwing back the covers and swinging himself around to place his feet on the floor. It felt strange against his skin. Before anyone had the chance to protest he'd pushed himself up onto both feet... And almost faceplanted onto the floor if Gary hadn't dived forward to catch him.

"Whoa!" Gary exclaimed, dragging him back to sit on the bed. "One thing at a time, John."

The Doctor winced, rubbing his thighs. "Sorry," he said, looking at the muscle degeneration in his legs. If he still had the Time Lord ability to go into a coma, there was probably the chance that he would be able to gain his muscle back twice as fast, too.

"I recommend you take things slowly, Mr Smith," the doctor said sternly to him. "One thing at a time. Attempt walking everyday, in the morning and the afternoon. You need to keep stretching your legs and performing muscle exercises to help build them up. If it's okay, I'll leave details of muscle exercises with you, Mr Tyler?"

Pete nodded. "Of course. John won't find this easy, though..." he said, looking at the Doctor and grinning.

"Who, me?" the Doctor asked innocently, grinning back.

"If this is done too quickly you will end up damaging your legs even more and you won't heal," the doctor continued. "After all this I hardly think the recovery should be what finally defeats you."

"Don't worry, I'll pin him down," Gary assured them all with a reassuring smile.

"I'll be back tomorrow to check on you, Mr Smith," the doctor said, slipping his notes back into his briefcase and clicking it shut.

"See ya," the Doctor replied, waving as his doctor left the room with Pete in tow to show him out. The Doctor looked at Gary. "He was a right bundle of fun," he said sarcastically, laughing.

Gary chuckled. "He's right, though," he said seriously. "You need to take it easy. You haven't used your legs for months, John. They're like two pipe cleaners."

"You're such a charmer," the Doctor replied, before his face suddenly sank and his looked down at the floor. "I just want to see Rose."

Gary stared at him for a moment. "You hungry?" he asked.

"Starving."

"Marmalade sandwiches?" Gary suggested with a grin.

"Am I that predictable?"

"Yes," Gary answered, laughing. "And here, call Jackie to get to Rose." Gary tossed his phone onto the covers as he left the room. The Doctor stared at it, a huge smile spreading on his face as he grabbed the phone and dialled for Jackie Tyler.

"_Hello?"_

"Jackie!" the Doctor practically yelled down the phone.

"_Doctor?!" _Jackie's voice was full of surprise. _"How are you, love?"_

"Great, thanks," the Doctor replied happily. "Is Rose there?"

"_She's right here, hold on."_

There was the sound of fumbling before Rose's voice came through.

"_Doctor?" _her voice was only a whisper.

"Rose!" the Doctor yelled again, unable to control his excitement.

"_It's you... It's really you... I can't believe you're awake..."_

"Yeah, sorry about that," the Doctor said apologetically. "Healing coma hard to control when I'm only part Time Lord."

"_But are you better?"_

"So much more for talking to you."

"_You and me both..." _There was a pause._ "I thought..." _she trailed off. The Doctor could hear her suddenly sob.

"Hey," he said. "Don't cry. 'Cause when you do, I do."

"_Sorry," _she said, sniffing. _"It's the hormones from the babies..."_

"That's what they all say," the Doctor said, laughing. "... What do they look like?"

"_Like you," _she said, sniffing. _"They're beautiful. Brown hair and brown eyes."_

The Doctor smiled. "I can't wait to see them. To see you."

"_It's been while," _she said, laughing. _"I love you."_

"I love you too," he said. "Get some rest."

"_You too," _she replied.

"I'll see you later, that's a promise."

"_It'd better be," _she answered.

There was a slight pause.

"Hang up, then," the Doctor said, laughing.

"_Not before you do," _she said, also laughing.

"No, you hang up."

"_You hang up!"_

"I'm not hanging up!"

"_Well I'm not either."_

"Oh I'm so not getting into this," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes. "BYE!"

* * *

Jackie and Rose arrived back at the Tyler mansion a few days later with the twins. They took them into Rose and the Doctor's shared bedroom and laid them down on the covers, where they gurgled and waved their tiny arms and legs around. Rose sat down on the bed, kissing them both gently on the forehead as she waited for moment she'd been picturing for months, her body rigid in anticipation...

The door opened; Rose's heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, hey, careful, I'm fragile!" came the Doctor's voice as Pete, Jackie and the Doctor appeared in the doorway, Jackie and Pete supporting him on either side. The Doctor looked up, seeing Rose sitting on the bed, staring at him. He grinned at her.

They guided him over to the bed, setting him down on it and helping him in.

"Phew, that was way more exhausting than it should have been," the Doctor commented as Jackie and Pete left them, lying back on the pillows. He looked at Rose. She looked at him. Then she leant forward, kissing him deeply without another word.

"Hello to you too," the Doctor said, laughing as she pulled away. Then suddenly she was crying, sobbing in front of him with tears of utter joy and relief. The Doctor opened his arms for her to hug him to which she obliged, her frame trembling in his grip as he held her tightly to his chest. Rose took in his familiar scent, still not quite believing this was real. She half-expected to wake up alone in bed...

"Pinch me," she suddenly said. He obliged, giving her a firm pinch on the arm. She winced and drew back, rubbing her arm, but she was smiling through the tears rolling down her face.

"Real enough for you?" he asked, grinning.

"Yeah," she said, laughing before dabbing a kiss on his lips. "I missed you so much."

"I missed me too," he replied, cupping her face in his hand. She gazed at him lovingly before reaching up and tracing her thumb over the white scar across his face. It all seemed like a distant memory, now. But the scars that remained would forever be a painful reminder of what they'd both gone through.

"But you're okay, yeah?" she asked.

He nodded. "Never been better." He looked down at the babies still laid on the bed, both of them staring up at him with the big brown eyes Rose had described. She was right. They were beautiful... and _so_ perfect.

He reached down to the nearest twin and picked her up, ignoring the ache in his arms as he brought her to lay on his lap. He stroked his thumb over her cheek, grinning down at her as Rose picked up the other girl and placed her beside her twin on the Doctor's lap.

"Hello," he said to them both. They both gurgled in reply. "I'm your Daddy. I wasn't there at the start, but I promise I will never leave you again." He looked at Rose, and gave a full smile. "I'm talking to you, too."

"I know you were," she replied, wiping her eyes before looking back down at the twins. He followed her gaze.

"Thank you, Rose," he suddenly said. And he meant it. Despite everything he'd gone through, everything he'd endured, he had a beautiful fiancée and two beautiful baby girls to match... And he wouldn't have it any other way.

Being a human wasn't so bad.

* * *

**A/N: **And now back to thewriter-1988 for one last chapter...


	30. Happily Ever After?

**A/N: **It's the last chapter! Yes, its me, the-writer1988 here. I cannot believe this story is at an end! It feels like only yesterday we started to torture the Doctor in every chapter...

* * *

Chapter 30 – Happily Ever After?

"Now, Tony, when you go inside, you're gonna have to be quiet," instructed Jackie to her small son. "The twins are sleeping, so don't wake them. Just look, okay?"

The little boy nodded.

"Good," said Jackie, patting him on the top of his head. "Come on." She led him up the hallway towards the room the Doctor and Rose shared with the twins. They had already informed Tony that the Doctor was awake but the boy hadn't seen him either since they had kept him away from the house until Rose had returned home. Tony hadn't minded. He liked staying in other people's houses.

Reaching the door, Jackie slowly pushed it open, peering inside. The Doctor and Rose were lying on their bed, huddled up to one another, their arms wrapped around each other's bodies. It looked as though they had just woken up. The babies had been placed in the crib at the end of their bed and it was clear they were both sleeping. Jackie took her son's hand and led him into the room, smiling lightly at them.

"Hey, Doctor, how are you feeling?" asked Jackie.

"Better now that I've seen Rose and the girls," he replied, quietly, keeping his voice low so that he didn't wake the twins.

Jackie smiled. "Good. Decided on any names yet?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah. Just decided. The one on the left is Abigail and the one on the right is Gabrielle. We could have just called them baby girl one and baby girl two of course."

"Ah, lovely names." Jackie lifted Tony up in her arms so that he could peer over the cot to see his nieces. "Tony, meet Abigail and Gabrielle Tyler."

"Why don't they have John's name?" asked the boy. "I've got dad's." He seemed to have forgotten that he hadn't seen the Doctor in ages, especially awake.

"We're not married yet," replied Rose. "When we're married, we'll change it."

"Why are they really small?"

"Because they are babies."

"I thought they'd be bigger and they are too pink," he pouted. "Can I play with them?"

The Doctor shook his head. "They're too small to play with."

"Oh."

"Hey, why don't you ask John what I couldn't tell you?" asked Rose, her eyebrows rising mischievously, glancing at her lover beside her.

The Doctor leaned up on his elbows. "What do you want to know?" he asked. "I am awake now and my brain is fully working!"

"Was your brain ever fully working?" asked Rose cheekily.

The Doctor's mouth fell open. "OI!"

Rose laughed, squeezing his left bicep. "I'm only joking, you know that." She looked at her younger brother. "You've got something to ask?"

Tony, who had been put back on the floor, trotted over to the Doctor, standing right in front of him. "Why do Scottish men wear skirts?"

"Tradition," he replied.

"Okay." Tony seemed to accept that simple one-word explanation. "Mum, can I go play?"

Jackie nodded, taking her son by the hand and leading him out the room. "Come on, we'll go find something for you to do."

Rose twisted her head towards the Doctor. "How did you do that? He kept bugging me about that and you sum it up in one word and he accepts it!"

The Doctor grinned. "I'm good with kids."

Rose huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "Alright then, mister-who-is-very-good-with-kids, next time Abigail and Gabrielle cry, you can change their nappies."

The doctor checked on the Doctor everyday for about a month before reducing his visits to once a week. The Doctor was progressing well and his legs were stronger and more able to support his weight. He could even go for a short jog now if he wanted too. And his appetite was astounding, how he managed to not get fat shocked Rose. He put it down to the half alien part of himself. Eating three main meals a day was not something he had done before, but considering the way he had been treated at the hands of his captors, it wasn't surprising he felt like that. Making up for lost time it seemed.

The Doctor had been referred to a therapist in case of mental trauma due to what he had been put through, but after three two-hour sessions, the therapist had declared him fit and well, save for his unhealthy obsession with bananas. At every session the Doctor had bought one along and also seemed to start talking about them in every topic she seemed to bring up. Rose had figured this was the Doctor's way of rebelling against being forced to the counselling. Other than his banana fixation, the therapist had signed him off mentally capable of going back to work; however Pete had ordered him to take another five months off to make sure he had maximum recovery time and to reconnect with Rose, and oh boy, they were doing just that, frequently.

Rose was still on maternity leave until the twins were six months old so they would return to work together.

During the second month of the Doctor's return to the waking world, Torchwood started to release press releases and details about the Doctor's kidnap and subsequent rescue, informing the public of the plot, and the people involved. Pete also released information regarding Kayleigh's betrayal and change of heart, leading to the Doctor's rescue. He announced at a conference that he was giving her honours for giving her life to save the Doctor and the rest of the Torchwood team, preventing Garav from killing them all. Her name was inscribed on the Torchwood Wall of Heroes.

Despite betraying Torchwood and the country, Kayleigh had redeemed herself the day she had sacrificed her life to save everyone else. An award was needed, not condemnation.

* * *

**Six months later**

"Is it normal for human children to start crawling at six months?" asked Rose. "Abigail started today and Gabrielle will probably follow soon. I know in some cases they can..."

The Doctor smiled, kissing Rose on the lips as they lay together in bed. The twins had been moved into a room next door to them. "I'm part Time Lord. Part alien. Abigail and Gabrielle... well... they would be one quarter Time Lord and three quarters human. Time Lord children learn things quicker. They'll probably start walking next week and talking next month."

Rose's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"Yeah. Oh, what you human's call the terrible two's... well, that starts for Time Lords at nine months old and carries on for about two years..." He trailed off, seeing Rose's aghast look.

"You've got to be kidding."

"No..." he replied, sheepishly.

They fell silent for a while, just gazing up at the ceiling, content in each other's arms.

"I feared raising them alone, you know," said Rose quietly. "I thought you'd never come back..."

"Rose..." the Doctor began, "I would have done anything to get back to you. I love you so much. I would never have given up fighting for you. I would have died trying and I nearly did, but I made it. I fought through it all. I could have given up ages ago and stopped my heart, but I had faith that you'd find me and get me out." He reached out and stroked her cheek. "I love you Rose Tyler."

Rose pressed her lips against his. "I love you, Doctor." With ease she pushed him onto his back, climbing on top of him. He was so beautiful. She melted inside whenever she looked into his eyes. And he was all hers. She leaned down, taking his lips in hers. She moved her body up and down and he began to respond. She smiled.

"Don't stop," he whispered against her lips.

"We're going to have to remove our clothes at some point," she replied.

"I know."

"We're not going to get any further if we don't," teased Rose, nibbling his ear lobe, before moving back to his lips once more.

* * *

They should have gone back to work at the six month mark when Rose's maternity leave officially ended, but the Doctor and Rose had decided to tie the knot a few weeks later and Pete had extended their leave by another month, allowing them to finish preparations and go on a honeymoon. No one complained about their colleagues extended leave, for everyone at Torchwood believed they deserved it.

Standing at the top of the aisle was the Doctor, dressed in a black tuxedo, hands behind his back, nerves wriggling inside him. Music started and he turned to look at Rose, who was wearing a pure white wedding dress, her left arm slipped through her father's as he escorted her up the aisle.

Rose hugged Pete as they reached the Doctor, then she stood beside him, waiting, a veil hiding her beautiful face.

And the ceremony began.

They spoke their vows, detailing their love for one another, promising to never leave each other. They exchanged rings, repeating their words of love to one another.

"Do you, John Smith, take Rose Marion Tyler to be your lawfully wedded wife through sickness and in health until death till part you?"

"I do."

The vicar looked to Rose. "Do you Rose Marion Tyler take John Smith to be your lawfully wedded husband through sickness and in health until death till part you?"

"I do," smiled Rose, looking towards the Doctor through her veil.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The Doctor lifted up the veil covering Rose's face, smiling brightly as his wife. "I love you Rose Tyler-Smith."

Rose hooked her arms around his neck. "I love you, Doctor."

And they kissed, sealing their love for one another forever.

* * *

**A/N: **the-writer1988: And no, don't beg us for a sequel! There are no plans for one! If you like Doctor Whump, do come and read my fics... I'm sure you can find my profile! And I've got lots of whumpy fics planned ;)

reddwarfaddict: Shameless promoting! Think I might do some of that too :D I'm currently in the thralls of writing a baby!Doctor fic complete with some whump called "Ten Minus Five", which'll get updated with chapter three right after this one's posted. So roll on by, I'd love to see you! :) As ever I'd like to thank all the readers and especially the reviewers who made it through the relentless Doctor whump that was Ransom, we really hope you enjoyed it :D Like she said, no sequel planned. You can have a sequel... in your imaginaaaation! :o Chow!


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